Office workers are at an increased risk of musculoskeletal problems, which has been shown by numerous research articles. 73% of office workers report one or more musculoskeletal symptom (Institute of Occupational Medicine 2007). The research shows that the most commonly reported symptoms are problems with the eyes, head, neck, shoulders and back. It also shows that neck, shoulder and back problems are often reported together. Recent research in Europe has shown that low back pain and neck pain is the leading cause of disability.
The office worker is particularly at risk because they are likely to do the following:
It is also a very costly problem as the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council published data this year saying that ergonomic health issues cost Singapore $3.5 billion a year.
Improving office ergonomics can have a significant impact on a company. It can help in the following ways:
If you are interested, please click to find out more about our corporate ergonomic assessments. Alternatively, get in touch with your local PhysioActive clinic to arrange an appointment.
Thanks for reading!
This post has been written by PhysioActive physiotherapist Jenny Johnson B.Sc (Hons) - Physiotherapist, Manual Therapist, Ergonomist
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