MSD or musculoskeletal disorders are typically related to injuries or chronic disorders of nerves, muscles, joints, tendons, cartilage, and the individual discs that make up the spine. Within this context, musculoskeletal disorders that are work-related (also commonly referred to as WMSD by medical professionals), in essence, revolve around physical disorders that stem from work or are in some way linked to the work environment.
The CDC has in fact established the fact that work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common and may be caused by any repetitive activity, routine lifting of heavy objects, exposure to constant sources of vibration, and work that requires sitting, leaning, or standing for long hours.
There are also various independent medical publications that cite work conditions as the primary cause behind neck, shoulder, back, elbow, and wrist problems which have been observed to be particularly common among office employees who are glued to their regular office chairs and working with computers that are equipped with regular keyboards and pointing devices instead of ergonomic designer office chairs and tools.
Non-ergonomic tools and non-ergonomic office furniture are not meant to be used for long periods as extended use of these elements lead to serious musculoskeletal system dysfunction that is normally linked to connective tissue diseases which among others include chronic back pain, shoulder and neck discomfort, carpal tunnel syndrome, hernia or even sprains and muscle strains.
These disorders do not only have a negative impact on employees suffering from these ailments, but they also have a negative impact on employers due to the high costs that employers have to bear due to high absenteeism, poor productivity, and costs linked to health care and compensation for disability. One approach that has been found to be effective in reducing these costs and simultaneously increasing productivity is via the introduction and establishment of an ergonomic work environment.
Ergonomics which revolves around a concept that fits the workplace environment along with all the demands of a job to the capability and capacity of each employee at the personal level has been proven to not just eliminate injuries and musculoskeletal disorders significantly due to overuse of muscles and also, but it has also been found to reduce stress significantly. Essentially an ergonomic office chair, an ergonomic office desk, and ergonomic electronic devices reduce the risk of WMSD effectively.
Ergonomic office chairs made by Premier Office Furniture especially have been found to be crucial towards preventing bad posture and chronic back and neck problems attributed to the tendency for employees to use regular chairs to slouch whilst working while sitting for hours almost every day.
Similarly, the use of ergonomic keyboards and pointing devices on the other hand has been found to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome which is a serious enough affliction that reduces the ability of employees to maintain focus due to the pain and discomfort caused by this ailment.
Ergonomics have been made compulsory in large organizations and even in some state and national legislation due to the significant increase in WMSD among office employees and for good reason.
