Maria Watson Supervisor: Phyllis Woodfine
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common occupational illness in Great Britain, affecting 1.1 million people a year They include problems such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries (RSl) of various sorts. In 1995/96. musculoskeletal disorders cost society £5.7 billion (1995/96 prices). (Health and Safety Executive 2005). According to the RSI Association at least one in hfty of all workers En the UK have an RSI condition. For employees the costs are counted in terms of pain, loss of quality of life, income and future earnings. The costs to society are staggering: 5.4 million working days were lost last year due to RSI-related sickness absence.
The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the cervical spine and shoulders in office workers attending the London School of Osteopathy clinic against disorders in other parts of the musculoskeletal system.
45 (participants) office workers consisting of 31 females and 14 males were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: the first section measured lifestyle and employment status, the second measured the length of service; amount of time per week spent in an office and what duties they were carrying out e.g. administration work, computer work etc., and the third section contained an anterior and posterior body chart whereby the patient was asked to shade in the area(s) of pain. Each body chart was divided iilo two sections; 1. Cervical spine and shoulder and 2. Other parts of the muscular-skeletal system. This was used to measure cervical spine and shoulder disorders against disorders in other parts of the musculoskeletal system. The third section also measured whether participants thought their pain was work related and if so, had it stopped them working during the past year.
Results suggested that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the cervical spine and shoulders in office workers was not necessarily any different to other musculoskeletal disorders in any other part of the body. Office workers who spend long hours in the office have more chance of developing rnusculoskeletal disorders compared to their length of service and lifestyle which both had no significant bearing..
Additionally having a semi-active/active lifestyle does not stop the office worker from developing musculoskeletal disorders. Even though numerous studies of work related musculoskeletal disorders of the cervical spine and shoulders have been carried there has been no conclusive aetiology. (ie by who reference) Sammut & Searle Barnes (2002) and Szeto et al (2005) believe that there are a number of factors both intrinsic and extrinsic that may be the cause.