Click here to access and print the 4-week Prevent Injuries Challenge
During the Challenge you will access resources from the employee well-being portal in the Wellness Initiatives
The musculoskeletal system consists of the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Together they give the body structure and power for movement. Musculoskeletal health-related issues can be acute — occurring immediately with a specific incident or injury. Or they can be chronic and ongoing — lasting weeks to years.
Some common injuries are:
-
A sprained ankle
-
A broken bone
-
Sore neck or back from poor posture
Injuries can occur doing a variety of activities:
-
Raking leaves
-
Playing a sport and when doing hobbies
-
Using a handheld device for too long
These are musculoskeletal health-related conditions and many are painful and most are preventable.
Week 1: Focus on Ergonomics
“Transformation is not a future event. It is a current activity.” Anonymous
Workplace ergonomics removes risk factors that lead to musculoskeletal injuries
Learn how to optimize your workstation for safety when sitting, standing, and working at a computer.
-
Protect your back
-
Protect your neck
-
Protect your hands
Reduce injuries with workplace ergonomics such as:
-
Tension headaches
-
Pain in the jaw (TMJ)
-
“Knots” in the back of the neck
-
“Rocks” in the shoulders
-
“Sore” chest muscles
-
General back pain
-
Chronic “achy” feeling all over
-
Numbness or tingling in the arms and/or hands
-
Facial pain
Preventing Injury means paying attention to and maintaining your musculoskeletal health. You can break this down to being aware of and making modifications in 4 areas: Ergonomics, Posture and Back, Wrists, and Core. Use your Challenge Sheet to record your efforts in these areas to Prevent Injuries and reduce, eliminate, or avoid PAIN!
“Know safety = No injury”
No safety = Know Injury” Anonymous
Week 2: Focus on Your Posture and Back
"Confident posture gets you noticed for all the right reasons.” Cindy Ann Peterson
Posture = how you hold your body
-
Sitting
-
Lying
-
Standing
-
Playing sports
-
On your devices
Good posture benefits you by:
-
Preventing back and muscular pain and improving circulation
-
Preventing fatigue by using muscles more efficiently
-
Keeping bones and joints in alignment
-
Reducing the wear and tear on joints
-
Decreasing strain on the ligaments in the spine
-
Protecting the spine from being fixed in an abnormal position
-
Making you look and feel healthy and confident
The average adult head weighs about 10 pounds:
-
Your head weighs substantially more when you lean forward.
-
Just 1 to 2 inches of a forward head position can double your head’s weight on your spine.
-
Forward Head Posture or “Text Neck” can be a source of chronic strain and pain in our necks, shoulders, arms, and hands.
Maintaining a healthy posture aligns your ears with your shoulders and being aware of your posture is the first step in improving it!
Preventing Injury means paying attention to and maintaining your musculoskeletal health. You can break this down to being aware of and making modifications in 4 areas: Ergonomics, Posture and Back, Wrists, and Core. Use your Challenge Sheet to record your efforts in these areas to Prevent Injuries and reduce, eliminate, or avoid PAIN!
“Heads UP: Are you developing “text neck?” Anonymous
Week 3: Focus on Your Wrists
“Pain doesn’t just show up in our lives for no reason.” Anonymous
Protect Your Wrists
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) describes pain due to overuse and repetitive movement. Symptoms may begin gradually and then become constant and more intense. Sometimes a previous injury to your wrists, elbow, backs or shoulder can make you prone to an RSI.
Most occupations involve some type of repetitive function:
-
Computer work – computer coding, accounting, writing, etc.
-
Cooks
-
Bus drivers
-
Grocery clerks
-
Construction workers
Tips for preventing RSI:
-
Optimize your work-station set up for good posture and comfort.
-
Take a 5-minute break for every 20 – 30 minutes of repetitive movements.
-
Perform hand and forearm stretches including wrist extensions, forearm stretches, and tendon gliding.
-
Get up to stretch or walk around – set an alarm on your phone.
It’s not just work that can cause an RSI. Extensive use of mobile devices, hobbies such as playing guitar, basketball, video games, or gardening can cause damage to your joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles and lead to restrictions in movement and pain!
Preventing Injury means paying attention to and maintaining your musculoskeletal health. You can break this down to being aware of and making modifications in 4 areas: Ergonomics, Posture and Back, Wrists, and Core. Use your Challenge Sheet to record your efforts in these areas to Prevent Injuries and reduce, eliminate, or avoid PAIN!
“Physical pain is a sign that something in our life needs to be changed.” Anonymous
Week 4: Focus on Your Core
“All physical activity, not just strength begins with the body’s core.” Anonymous
Strengthen Your Core
Whether you are lifting boxes, children, shoveling snow, or leaves, you are using your core muscles for the task. So, it is critical to strengthen your core and to protect your back.
-
The core muscles are bundles of muscles deep in the abdomen, low back, hips, and pelvis that act together to stabilize the spine and support posture and balance.
-
Strengthening these muscles can prevent or reduce lower back pain and keep you flexible.
-
Exercises that strengthen your core include abdominal crunches, pelvic tilts. bridge, and leg raises.
-
Yoga, tai chi, and Pilates are other core strengthening exercises.
When you’re healthy take action to maintain your good health including strengthening your core. That also means learning how to lift, rake leaves, and shovel snow safely.
Preventing Injury means paying attention to and maintaining your musculoskeletal health. You can break this down to being aware of and making modifications in 4 areas: Ergonomics, Posture and Back, Wrists, and Core. Use your Challenge Sheet to record your efforts in these areas to Prevent Injuries and reduce, eliminate, or avoid PAIN!
“A strong core compliments everything you do.” Les Mills
Congratulations!
You have discovered new ways to Prevent Injuries by focusing on your musculoskeletal health. You’ve assessed and modified your work environment, improved your posture, learned to protect your wrists, and strengthen your core. We hope that you have learned from the Virtual Exhibit, examined your habits, read the articles and watched videos from the employee well-being portal, and found ways to Prevent Injury. Keep up the momentum by continuing to use the Challenge Sheet to make your new habits part of everyday living.
“Turn your wounds into wisdom." Oprah Winfrey
Click here to access and print the 4-week Prevent Injuries Challenge.