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Repetitive
Strain Injuries (RSI's) are at record
levels, with costs in the United States exceeding
$100 Billion dollars annually for treatment, lost
time from work, reduced production levels and Workers
Compensation.
The status of Repetitive Strain
Injuries has gone from epidemic proportions to
pandemic Proportions during the past 5-years, with
millions of people afflicted with disorders like
carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tennis
elbow, dequervain's syndrome and a variety of other
upper extremity repetitive strain injuries.
With
the implementation of a few simple, non-invasive
techniques such as good ergonomics, routine rest
breaks and proper stretch and exercise
programs, these types of disorders could be vastly
reduced.
How serious are Repetitive Strain
Injuries?
- Musculoskeletal disorders
(MSD's), including carpal tunnel syndrome,
are among the most prevalent medical conditions
in the U.S., affecting 7% of the population.
They account for 14% of physician visits and
19% of hospital stays. 62% of the persons with
musculoskeletal disorders report some degree
of limitation on activity, compared with 14%
of the population at large, according to the
National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
- In the industrialized world,
the incidence of musculoskeletal injury (MSI)
has reached epidemic proportions. In the United
States, these disorders affect one out of every
four people (American Academy of Orthopedic
Surgeons, 2000).
- According to the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), MSIs
account for one-third of all job-related injuries.
- An estimated 2.3 million
people aged 20 or older reported having
had an RSI at some point in the 12 months
prior to their participation in the Canadian Community
Health Survey, for which data collection began
in September 2000. (This is almost 10% of the
population in a 12 month period, based off population
of 32,498,632!)
- Each year thousands
of people are diagnosed with some kind of an
illness directly related to poorly designed work
stations. In the U.S., Repetitive Strain Injury
(RSI, for short) has become the number one work-related
health problem, according to OSHA statistics.
- Musculoskeletal
Disorders (MSD's) are the country's
most costly category of workplace injuries and
illnesses. In addition to spending $20 billion
annually on workers' compensation costs due to
RSIs, the U.S. spends another $100 billion on
lost productivity, employee turnover, and other
indirect expenses; The Agency for Health Care
Policy and Research.
- According
to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI's) are the
nation's most common and costly occupational
health problem, affecting hundreds of thousands
of American workers, and costing more than
$20 billion a year in workers compensation.
Visit the menu links
to the left to find out more about each of the
devastating Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI's),
its symptoms, causes and suggested treatments. |