Health - American Chiropractic Association to Promote Workplace Safety

“To help promote health and safety in the workplace, National Chiropractic Month 2006 will focus on what employers and employees can do to reduce the number of job-related injuries and how to best treat injuries when they do occur,” announced Ian Johnson DC, PhD, director of the Chiropractic Health Clinic on the Farnham Road in Slough who is British-trained but also a member of the American Chiropractic Association.

Whether it’s a job that requires a great deal of bending and lifting or one that entails typing at a computer all day, around 1.03 million people report work-related injuries each year and most of these are musculoskeletal injuries1.

While musculoskeletal injuries often require employees to take time off of work, there is compelling evidence that most injuries of this nature could, in fact, be prevented. Dr. Johnson and the ACA recommend the following tips to help reduce the risk of injury:

While at the office, remember to take frequent stretch breaks while working on your computer. The more hours per day you use your computer, the greater the risk of discomfort or injury.

While working on your computer, sit with your knees at approximately a 90- to 120-degree angle. Using an angled foot-rest to support your feet may help you sit more comfortably.

Make sure your chair fits correctly. Allow for two inches between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knees. Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.

Don’t lift by bending over. Instead, bend your hips and knees and then squat to pick up the object. Keep your back straight, and hold the object close to your body. Don’t twist your body while lifting.

Push, rather than pull, when you must move heavy objects.

If you must sit for long periods, take frequent breaks and stretch.

Exercise regularly. Staying physically fit, strong and flexible helps you avoid back injuries.

Dr. Johnson also reminds employers to be proactive about preventing injuries. “There is compelling evidence that most illnesses that cost employers money could in fact be prevented. Prevention and employee involvement go hand-in-hand. Ask your workers for opinions on how to improve safety. Treat their ideas and concerns seriously.”

If an employee is faced with an injury, they should consider chiropractic care, says Dr. Johnson. According to the American Chiropractic Association, a number of workers’ compensation studies have shown that the use of chiropractic care for acute and chronic lower-back pain can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care – getting people back on the job in less time than other treatment options. And recent UK studies show just how cost-effective the physical therapy of the type offered by chiropractors actually2. Furthermore, chiropractic can be an effective treatment option for carpal tunnel, neck pain, joint pain, headaches and neuromusculoskeletal conditions.

Dr. Johnson is working in collaboration with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) to observe National Chiropractic Month. For more information on chiropractic or any of the tips mentioned above contact Dr. Johnson at 01753 554500 or visit the ACA Web site: www.acatoday.org.

Reference
1. http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/
2. UK BEAM Trial Team. United Kingdom back pain exercise and manipulation (UK BEAM) randomised trial: cost effectiveness of physical treatments for back pain in primary care (2004). British Medical Journal 329: 1381-1388

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