ABSTRACT
MusculoSkeletal Disorders (MSDs) are highly prevalent in today’s industrialised world. In fact, 7 million workers reported work related health problems across Europe in 1999, over half (52%) of which were reported as MSDs (EUROSTAT, 2002). Across Europe and most of the industrialised world the most prevalent of all MSDs are those of the upper limb (Colombini and Occhipinti, 2006). MSDs are generally not the result of one single risk factor but rather the result of exposure to many. These risk factors may directly or indirectly influence the onset and/or path of MSDs. Risk factors may be directly linked to the physiological processes of these disorders, alternately risk factorsmay trigger the processes that initiateMSDs. Risk factors may also form an environment that provokes or makes MSDs possible (Hagberg et al., 1995). Physical risk factors such as force, posture, repetition, grip type, movement and vibration are known to have an association with MSDs (PutzAnderson, 1988). Periods of exposure to these risk factors may be associated with the occurrence of MSDs (Buckle and Devereux, 2002).
