2. Areas to consider

If we don’t exercise our bodies get weak and out of condition. We then struggle to cope with the physical demands of work and life. Poor levels of strength puts our joints, ligaments and muscles under strain. This can result in injury.

The evidence suggests a link between stress and the development of musculoskeletal disorders. A higher degree of stress in our lives increases our risk for aches and pains. Stress can increase our body’s levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Increased levels of cortisol are known to cause amongst other factors, muscle weakness. Not only does stress cause a physical reaction in our bodies, but psychologically we perform worse when we are stressed and tend to make poor judgements.

Adopting postures such as extreme forward bending, lifting when twisted, rapid bending and twisting or sudden muscular effort exposes us to increased risk. Tasks can include bending and twisting to reach a patient, working in extreme postures due to poor environment design or lack of space and holding loads away from the body.