Workplace ergonomics and musculoskeletal injury prevention

Aching, stiffness, tingling or weakness that comes with a task and fades at rest is an early warning. A physical therapist can find which movements or tissues are overloaded and give you a plan, often before time off work is needed. Numbness, progressive weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, or pain after a significant fall or accident needs urgent medical care.

If pain has already set in, the same principle applies as in any tendon or back problem: dose the load, build capacity, and return in steps. Our team’s own research record includes work on mechanical diagnosis and therapy for lateral elbow pain, a common repetitive-strain problem. See the exercises below and the rehabilitation pages for the next steps.

For the back, a few daily lower back stretches are a good place to start. An early physical therapy visit can head off time away from work. Our own clinicians contribute research too: Nova physical therapist published in the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy. Prevention works best alongside a stocked workplace first aid kit and a written emergency plan. Employers who handle pre-employment drug testing and physicals can also ask about job-specific injury prevention. This guide is part of our wider workplace health series.