Preventing Injuries with Workplace Ergonomics

Forget construction; even desk jobs can be hazardous to your health! Cynthia Simmons, a physical therapist with Bon Secours In Motion Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, recently went on WAVY TV to discuss “workplace ergonomics.” While the subject may sound archaic, work ergonomics is, according to Simmons, easily described as “the study of making the workplace better for the worker.”

You don’t have to be participating in a very physically demanding task to be injured at work. Improper office furniture and improper lifting habits can lead to strained necks, strained back, and injured shoulders. A physical therapist like Simmons helps treat patients suffering from these work-related conditions by asking them what they do, how they lift, and what kind of sustaining postures they use. Then she provides workplace education to help them prevent or lessen their injury.

So how can you avoid these ergonomic risk factors? The number one way, says Simmons is to move around during the day, “Every 20 minutes you should get up, move around and stretch.” Sustaining long postures is damaging and can cause undue stress and strain. To learn more about how to prevent or treat workplace injury visit our Physical Therapy section or call us at 889-CARE (2273).