ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) poses a challenge to practitioners who treat workers with prolonged exposure to workplace ergonomic hazards. Although some controversy surrounds the diagnosis of MSD, this is not unlike other areas of medicine. A coherent understanding of the problem is necessary since MSD have such a widereaching impact on industry, insurance and medical systems. This chapter discusses MSD from the perspectives of these various sectors, reviews nomenclature, explains the different diagnostic criteria that identify the presence of MSD and addresses specific diagnoses that typify MSD in the workplace. Controversial issues relative to MSD diagnoses are examined.
