Are health professionals vulnerable to workrelated musculoskeletal disorders

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a group of disorders confined basicly to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints, and bones and occur in relation to occupational activities. These disorders are reported to be common in health professionals and affect their quality of life. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, degenerative spine disease, thoracic outlet syndrome, and strained neck syndrome are common in health workers. These problems often arise due to nonneutral postures, unsuitable instruments, nonergonomic working conditions. In addition, repetitive challenging activities are common risk factors. Medical students MSDs can begin in medical students at even educational stage, especially during laboratory studies. Researches showed that the most common sites of problems are;lower back, neck, and upper back. Lower back, neck, and upper back prevented daily activities in the majority of cases. Strategies are suggested to address ergonomic and postural training, as part of university curriculums, including the identification of problems for early intervention to facilitate sustainable workforces. Health professionals Work-related MSDs were found to be relatively highly prevalent among health care and hospital workers in general and nurses in particular. Both disorders were reported to be largely workrelated and stress-related. Moreover, they were found to be a result of both psychological stress and physical strain from work. Surgeons Compared with disease estimates in the general population, surgeons have a higher prevalence of MSDs. Surgeons, hospital administrations, surgical material designers, and health insurance schemes have a role to play in taking action to protect surgeons from this potential burden and occupational health hazard. Dentistry Professional practice and dental training have many risk factors, and the dental team should be able to recognize these factors to protect themselves. The most common sites for MSDs are neck, lower back, and shoulders. Women show a higher frequency of intense pain involving the cervical, lumbar, dorsal, and wrist areas placing them at a higher risk of injury. Nurses Because of the specificity of their work tasks and the long duration of tasks in health institutions, nurses are quite vulnerable to various occupational risk factors. In addition to the physical risk factors connected to the work tasks, there are also individual risk factors, related to each individual's susceptibility and organizational/psychosocial risk factors (although these occupational risk factors are often addressed separately), whose control is critical. During the pandemic Physicians and nurses can be considered to have MSDs because of (1) the difficulties they experience, especially while using Personal Protective Equipment for Covid-19 in Intensive Care Unit/Settings. (2) the difficulties they experience by having to spend a long time at the computer to provide telemedicine services to the patients they monitor. Long and intensive studies leading up to these periods may have also caused MSDs. Conclusion: Areas of action can be ergonomic equipment, training, and consulting for workplaces at home and ergonomic risk assessments. In cases where protection is not provided and early treatment is not performed, they can cause temporary or permanent work disability.