Ergonomics for

Healthier Employees

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 The purpose of this
workshop is to show you
how to prevent work
injury.
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Musculoskeletal Disorders,
(known as MSDs) are
disorders that can affect the
muscles, nerves, tendons,
ligaments, joints, cartilage,
blood vessels, or spinal discs.
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Source: 2001 OSHA Voluntary Guidelines Ergonomic Program Standard.
 Musculoskeletal Disorders
cost the nation up to $50
billion a year.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupations Safety and Health Administration, “Good
Ergonomics is Good Economics”, November 2000. 4
 The most common
Musculoskeletal Disorders are:
• Neck, shoulder and low back pain
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Restricted movement
• Joint problems
• Damaged nerves causing numbness
and tingling.
5
There are many
different causes of
musculoskeletal
problems.
They can occur as
a result of
activities at home,
at work, or during
leisure time. 6
 They can also occur as a
result of a lack of exercise
and failure to properly
stretch before physical
exertion.
®7
Athletes
stretch before
beginning their
competition to
prevent injury
and improve
performance. ®8
Stretching
loosens tight
muscles and
ligaments.

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Ligaments are
those tissues
which connect
one bone to
another.
They are involved
in all joints in the
body.
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Tight
ligaments and
muscles are
more easily
torn or injured.
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When a joint is injured,
especially in the spine, it can
cause damage to the nerves that
are in that
area.

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We are now
going to fill out
a Health Survey
to see
if you are
currently
experiencing
any of these
symptoms. 13
Since most musculoskeletal
conditions can be prevented
with daily stretches and
exercise, we are going to
teach you a program that
you can easily do at work
or at home. ®14
 However, exercise and
stretching can further
aggravate an already
damaged joint, torn muscle,
or spinal misalignment if
not carefully supervised. 15
Therefore, we are going to
check you for spinal
misalignments, injured
joints or muscle problems
before we teach you
to stretch. ®16
This examination will show
any areas that should be of
concern to you.

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 SHOULDER TRIGGER
POINT TEST
Trigger Points
show muscle
spasms and
irritated
nerves. 18
 NEUROLOGICAL
STRESS TEST
Stand on your left
leg with your right
leg bent at the
knee. Close your
eyes and count to
ten. Can you hold
your balance? 19
 RESTRICTED LUMBAR
SPINE TEST

Bend over
and try to
touch your
toes.
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 PELVIC DISTORTION-
BALANCE TEST
Close your eyes and
march in place for a
count of ten. Are you
off balance? Do you
have to re-center
yourself? When you
open your eyes and look
down, are your feet
spread unevenly apart? ®21
 NECK ROTATION TEST
Turn your
head from left
to right. Do
you feel any
pain or
restriction? 22
APLEY’S SCRATCH TEST

Put your right hand over

your right shoulder.
Putting your left arm
around your back on the
left side, reach up and try
to touch your hands
behind your back.
Now, repeat the other
direction. 23
 ROOS TEST

Put your hands

up in the air (as
in “This is a
stick-up!”)
Hold for one
minute.
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If you failed any of these
tests, it indicates that you
have a physical problem.
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If you failed 2 or more of these
tests, you may be at risk of
developing a more serious
problem, or may already have
one.
You should take action to
prevent or correct the problem. 26
Physical problems respond
best to a physical solution.

Medication can offer only

temporary relief.
27
 Solutions to physical
problems can include:
• Correcting spinal misalignments
• Reducing muscle spasms
• Repairing torn or damaged muscles
and ligaments
• And a routine of gentle stretching.
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The following stretches can
be done at home or at work.
They are best done first
thing in the morning and at
breaks throughout the day.
Stop if you feel pain when
we do them. ®29
Reach above
your head
and stretch,
for a count of
ten.
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 Rotate your wrist, for a
count of ten.
Starting at position one, rotate counter-clockwise to
position 2, then continue around back to position 1.

1 2

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Stretch your
neck from
side to side as
far as you can
without pain,
for a count of
ten. 32
Shrug your
shoulders in a
circular
motion for a
count of ten.
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With one hand on a
chair for support,
reach back with your
other hand while
bending the same leg
at the knee.
Grab on to your ankle
and gently stretch the
thigh muscles.
Hold for a count of
ten. ®34
Sitting in a chair with
back support, extend
your legs and reach up
above your head,
simultaneously
stretching your back
and legs.
Hold for a count of
ten.
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With both hands on
a chair or table top
for support, slowly
arch your back like a
cat for the “Cat
Stretch”, then bow
your lower back
downward.
Hold each position
of a count of five.
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Sitting in a chair with your hands on your
knees, slowly bend forward until your head
touches your hands.
Hold for a count of ten. Repeat three times.

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Sitting in a chair
with back support,
pull one knee at a
time up towards your
chest.
Hold for a count of
ten. Repeat three
times.
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Some authorities say that 90%
of all North Americans will
experience a back problem
some time in their life.

Prevention is the solution.

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 If you failed two or more of the
earlier tests, and have symptoms on a
regular basis, you are at high risk of
developing more serious problems.
The solution is to correct the physical
cause of your musculoskeletal
disorders as soon as possible.
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Chiropractors specialize in handling
physical problems with gentle hands-on
treatment, which includes exercises,
stretches, and manipulation techniques.

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Chiropractors are
uniquely qualified
to address
musculoskeletal
disorders due to
their extensive
education of muscle
structure and the
nervous system. 42
Most Olympic athletes and professional
football teams use Chiropractic care to
improve their performance and
handle injuries.
This is the same reason that such celebrities
as Mel Gibson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis,
Madonna, Cher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and
Tiger Woods, just to name a few, have found
Chiropractic care to be an important part of
staying healthy and performing
at 100%. 43
A Gift.

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