What are Ergonomic Modifications?
Our occupational therapy in Hauppauge helps treat with work-related injuries. Many occupational disorders are developed due to one’s job. One of the most common occupational disorders in the workplace are work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WSMD). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are caused by repetitive micro-traumas that occur within one’s occupation. The repetitive traumas cause damage to the musculoskeletal tissues, especially in the shoulder region. This can cause a lot of damage because most people spend most of their hours at their workplace doing the occupation that is causing injury. These injuries have also affected the United States economy. There are treatment methods such as hot packs, manual therapy, and electrical stimulation that lack evidence of really treating work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
However, there are other ways to alleviate these disorders, one method being ergonomic modification. An ergonomic modification, also known as an ergonomic intervention, adjusts the environment, behavior, and long-term educational approaches of a worker to help prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Ergonomic modification is considered a conservative, cost-effective, and non-invasive method for treating work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
How Ergonomic Modification Helps
Ergonomic modifications’ primary function is to address the complexity of the WSMD’s nature. Doing this can also help develop the prevention of the musculoskeletal disorder in the work setting. The only way ergonomic modification can treat a musculoskeletal condition, there must be an ergonomic assessment performed. This is because each occupation requires a different repetitive motion that is developing a WSMD. Ergonomic modifications can be performed correctly if the proper injury is not being treated uniquely. This is because ergonomic modification addresses issues of different forms of awkward postures, high-stress development, and heavy lifting related repetitive motions developed in the workplace.
Some critical factors in ergonomic modification treatment are reducing stress-inducing movements, educational tool implementation, and workstation design. The best way to treat WSMD with ergonomic modification is to combine ergonomic education and workstation modifications. The ergonomic modification also takes into consideration the less known factors into the development of a WSMD. Exercises and stretches to prevent a WSMD injury are also implemented into ergonomic modification.
Three modifications are essential for WSMD treatment. The first modification is posture modification. Posture modification is necessary because it corrects every individual’s posture to reduce muscle stress and tension. This is because improper posture can cause strain to the musculoskeletal system. The second modification is organizational. This modification helps treat WSMD by modifying the type of equipment being used in the organization. An example would be changing a desk or chair to reduce repetitive stretching, straining the neck and shoulders.
The last modification that helps treat WSMD is workstation modification. Workstation modifications and ergonomic education has been shown to improve numerous outcome measures that relate to musculoskeletal pain. Many workers deal with musculoskeletal issues. Occupational Therapy can be essential to those interested in ergonomic modifications for these types of injuries.
Occupational Therapy in Hauppauge
WSMD affects millions of people every year. It can take away many employees’ hours of work due to their suffering from WSMD injuries. These injuries have become an enormous burden to those affected and even the United States economy. Ergonomic modifications are still considered a new form of treating these musculoskeletal disorders, but a promising alternative to past intervention methods. The method still lacks heavy evidence due to it being a novel intervention method. However, despite the lack of evidence, some evidence shows that ergonomic modifications benefit WSMD. East End Occupational Therapy offers all the information you need for ergonomic modifications. To learn more about our occupational therapy in Hauppauge, visit our website here.
