Back, neck and joint pain and RSI are the most prevalent occupational illnesses

This is another bit of jargon that Physiotherapists and Ergonomists use all the time and assume everyone else knows what they mean! We are not trying to ‘blind you with science’. It really is in our best interest that you can understand what we are talking about.

Musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs as you will sometimes see it written, are quite simply disorders of the muscles and skeleton. Muscles are self-explanatory but instead of skeleton we mean joints and the ligaments, tendons and the other ‘soft tissues’ around them. So in other words ‘musculoskeletal disorders’ is the collective term for strains, sprains and overuse injuries affecting soft tissues and joints.

Did you know?

MSD including back, neck and joint pain and RSI are the most prevalent occupational illnesses in Great Britain. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE 2007) over one million people are affected each year. Of these back disorders are the most common form of ill health at work. In 2005/06 an estimated 437 000 people suffered from a disorder mainly affecting their back, and 374 000 people from a disorder mainly affecting their upper limbs or neck, that were caused or made worse by their current or past work. The cost to employers of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is estimated to be between £590 million and £624 million with 9.5 million working days lost each year.