Dangerous Jobs - The Office and RSI

Dangerous Jobs - The Office and RSI

The post man has a dangerous job when it comes to big dogs. In fact thousands of post men are bitten every year. Other dangerous jobs include;

• The armed forces
• Fire men
• Medical/NHS roles
• Police
• Fishermen
• Oil rig workers
• Forestry workers
• Builders
• Teachers
• Prison service
• Bankers

In fact the list could go on and on but what about a typist. Someone who works in an office all day, is there job dangerous?

Well you may not think so unless the office is prone to being burgled or the employees are of an excessively bad nature, but the office can leave people with permanently damaged arms and hands.

RSI of Repetitive Strain Injury is a very common complaint within the office environment. The muscles and tendons in the hands, arms and even the back are kept tense for long periods of time and on top of that they being moved at the same time.

RSI is an umbrella term for a collection of conditions affecting the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. It can also affect the legs and feet. If you use your hands and arms a lot, e.g. keyboard use, you get it the in upper limbs; if you use your legs and feet, e.g. sewing machinist, you get it in the lower limbs.

So what actually happens to your body when it’s over used and injured as a result?

• Muscles shorten and can potentially scar in a shortened position as a result of injury or exercise.
• Muscles shorten persistently if nerve conduction to that muscle is interrupted. This is known as Cannon's Law, and is very important in understanding how we can develop repetitive strain injury.
• Shortened muscles around a joint will often change the static position of normal movement of the joint.
• Furthermore, persistent compression of the joint may occur and contribute to an abnormal and accelerated wear pattern of cartilage and eventually the joint.
• Joint pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion are common side effects.

When these symptoms are ignored they can cause permanent disabilities to the employees who have them. Many lives are affected by RSI type injuries and RSI is one of the most common reasons for people taking time from work and leaving work altogether in this modern day world.

Treatment can be sort and if symptoms are dealt with ASAP, the results are good. First you need to know the symptoms of RSI and then you need to go to your GP as soon as you can.
The symptoms are;

• Numbness
• Pain
• Weakness
• Reduced range of motion
• Difficultly lifting heavy objects
• A tendency to drop objects

A detailed history will be asked for at the first medical interaction. The patient will then be informed or educated on how to control the progression of the affected area. They will then undergo more in-depth investigation comprising of a physical examination and x-rays etc.

Once the degree of damage has been determined, the patient will be offered anything from physiotherapy to injection to anti-inflammatory drugs to control the pain, reduce the inflamed muscles and tendons and to stretch the affected area back to its normal length.

They may be able to turn the affects completely around and with care; the patient can make a full recovery. Sadly, in some cases the affects have already been so sever, more than first thought that the effects become permanent and the patient can be disabled for the rest of their lives.

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