MSDS

Treatment of musculoskeletal disorders linked to display-screen work

MSDS LINKED TO A SEATED POSTURE IN FRONT OF A SCREEN : THE REALITY AND THE CHALLENGES...

MSDs are a well-known feature of difficult jobs (maintenance, etc.) and physical jobs (agriculture, etc.).  However, they are often unrecognised and underestimated in jobs involving sitting in front of a screen.

  • In France, MSDs are the leading cause of recognition as occupational illness (CNAM).
  • The number of MSDs related to sitting posture in front of a computer screen is constantly rising.
  • In France, every year, 13 million sick days are related to these back and joint pathologies.

EXAMPLES OF CONSEQUENCES OF A REVERSED CURVATURE SEATED POSTURE :

  • Biomechanical disorganisation of the spine : Cervical back pain, headaches, neuralgia, pain in the shoulders and limbs, lumbar pain : sciatica, etc.
  • Diaphragmatic dysfunction : Circulatory and gastrointestinal disorders, etc.

Poor seated posture produces almost as much stress as lifting loads in a bad position

Challenges :

  • Financial and social cost
  • Public health problems

Agir :

  • La réorganisation du poste de travail
  • La correction de la posture en fonction de la classe posturale spécifique d'un individu
  • La prévention, source de mieux-être et d’économies.

Innovating training

Posturopole offers you innovative training for the treatment of MSDs linked to screen work.

We are all different :

Do you believe that a person, with his specific physical characteristics should have the same adaptations made to his work station as his office colleague ?

What makes our approach unique :

Dr. Gérard Vallier, physician-osteopath-posturologist, responds

  • Our experience has allowed us to define five broad morphological types based on the various curvature typologies
  • Work station correction suited to each broad category of individuals

Action on postures:
A correct seated posture must preserve the vertebral curvatures specific to each broad posture class.

Action on equipment :

Having an ergonomic seat is useless, even harmful, if one does not know how to adjust it.

OUR APPROACH

The main origin of MSDs linked to screen work is connected to the way in which the spinal curvatures and the articular stress angles are organised.

However, these curvatures are not the same from person to person, hence valid advice on posture for one person will not be the same as for the other. This problem cannot therefore be treated in a comprehensive manner. It seems fundamental to take these individual differences into account.

Whilst integrating criteria such as height, and angles of least stress, we offer an original approach that consists in adapting the computer work station to five broad posture categories based on our experience in posturology.

Furthermore, an ideal posture cannot be maintained without relative mobility in the joints. On this point, we offer exercises and postures that are easy to practice and we recommend ergonomic seats that preserve the spinal mobility necessary for joint nutrition (tensional integrity).

This model of treating MSDs linked to screen work was tested for two years in a study we conducted on musculoskeletal disorders linked to work stations, as part of prevention campaign involving 354 agents within a local jurisdiction.

ILLUSTRATION : TRAINING AT THE PYRÉNÉES ORIENTALES COUNCIL IN FRANCE

  • Training : occupational physician, workplace health and safety committee, agents
  • Consultant : Dr. Gérard Vallier
  • Adjustments were made to the working position of 350 employees who work in a seated posture in front of a screen for over 3 hours a day
  • Involvement :
  • Follow-up over a 2-year period
  • Results :
  • After the intervention, 90% of the employees consider their work station comfortable compared with 50% prior to the prevention campaign.
  • Disappearance of most of the painful symptoms :
  • neck pain in the morning.............………62% of the employees
  • shoulder pain in the morning..…........... 69% of the employees
  • elbow pain in the evening..…............... 70% of the employees
  • wrist pain in the evening........................70% of the employees
  • back pain in the evening..……….......... 43% of the employees
  • back pain in the morning..……..............72% of the employees
  • headaches............................................ 41% of the employees
  • restless hand syndrome..……...............48% of the employees
  • restless leg syndrome............................70% of the employees

 

Action :

Reorganisation of work stations

Posture correction based on the individual’s specific posture category

Prevention, leading to improved well-being and cost savings.

 

Proposed training for companies

TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR CONSULTANTS

  • Occupational physicians
  • workplace health and safety committee, etc.

TRAINING OBJECTIVE :

  • Analysis and organisation of the work stations specific to each posture class :
    • Action on the individual
    • Action on the equipment
    • Action on the effects of prolonged postures
  • Becoming familiar with posture classification (analysis of curvature typologies)
  • Learning to determine an individual’s posture category
  • Familiarity with the ergonomic equipment and knowledge of its use based on posture category (adjusting a seat, screen, etc.)