Work and Shoulder Problems: Why the Shoulders Are at Risk of Injury on the Job

Depending on the job, every part of the body is at risk for work-related injury and dysfunction. Occupations that involve manual material handling and other physical labor obviously pose more risk to body damage than do desk jobs. However, when it comes to the neck and shoulder, whose functions are integrated into almost every work activity, the pool of jobs that can bring about pain is very large. Looking at the shoulder specifically, it can be difficult to connect pain to work tasks. The shoulder works so closely with the neck and arms that problems in the shoulders can show up as pain elsewhere. Since the shoulder is taxed during daily activities outside of work, it can be hard to miss the relationship between pain caused by the shoulder and work tasks. Extensive research has shown, however, that in cases of chronic pain and pain that limits activity, the relationship between work activity and shoulder symptoms are too strong to ignore. The shoulder is a versatile and complex joint that is easily affected by several activities.?

The shoulder is comprised of 4 separate boney and musculotendinous joints and has the greatest range of motion of all other joints in the body. Muscles acting on the shoulder go far beyond the rotator cuff muscles everyone is familiar with. In addition to moving the shoulder, muscles can be taxed by stabilizing the shoulder. Shoulder stabilization is necessary in a number of activities that can also include neck, arm, and back movement. The complexity of the shoulder joint and its relationship to the rest of the body can create some very frustrating diagnosis issues. Just as problems in the neck can be felt as pain elsewhere, shoulder stress can travel up the neck, down the arms, into the chest, and into the back depending on what part of the shoulder is affected. When a person "protects" a part of his body to minimize the pain, he may actually exacerbate the problem by demanding more damaging action at the source of pain in order to compensate for it.?

In a work setting, the most likely culprits for shoulder dysfunction are repetitive motion and static posture. In an exercise regimen, these forces on the shoulder (or anywhere) can build strength. This is true in the workplace, too, but the difference is after that exercise, the muscles are allowed to rest and often are stretched. Placing the arm at various angles and putting stress on the shoulder at work without allowing the joint to recover can lead to a variety of problems. Some of the most common issues involving the shoulder are: tendonitis, bursitis, frozen shoulder, impingement syndrome, degenerative joint disease, and arthritis.?

Any kind of pain is a signal from the body to stop or change activity. If work is placing too much stress on any part of the body, change needs to happen immediately. The longer pain is ignored and activity continues, the more debilitating an issue can become. This can lead to less efficient work, time loss, mistakes, and medical care - all costly and unwanted by any employee or employer. Minimizing the risk of injury can be accomplished with a number of ergonomic solutions. Some may be as simple as varying work tasks or incorporating more breaks. Others may involve changes to a work station or using a device to eliminate an activity. In any case, it benefits both the health of employees and business to identify possible threats to well-being and eliminate them.