Nearly 60% of women and more than 50% men suffer from a musculoskeletal disorder of the back or upper limb, warns Santé Publique France.
- Musculoskeletal disorders affect both men and women with a prevalence of 51% and 58% respectively.
- Back MSDs are the most common. The most commonly reported are lower back pain (excluding sciatica).
- The sectors most at risk of promoting the development of MSDs are the manufacturing industry and construction for men and that of human health and social action for women.
Santé Publique France has drawn up a table of chronic back and upper limb pain. Of the unpublished data on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (TMS), published on March 27, 2024, confirm that 6 out of 10 women and 5 out of 10 men suffer from it in France. It is also the leading cause of compensated occupational illnesses and work-related morbidity.
Musculoskeletal disorders: back pain is the most common
For this survey, 18,298 people aged 18 to 64 and 13,093 working people of the same age were questioned about their physical suffering over the last twelve months. Their responses reveal that pain is very present in their daily lives. “The study shows that the prevalence of all MSDs studied (back and upper limb) in the general population aged 18 to 64 is 58% in women and 51% in men”, explains Santé Publique France in its report. The back is the biggest source of pain. 47% of women and 40% of men suffer from it. Low back pain is the most common disorder, accounting for nearly 4 out of 10 cases.
The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb is lower with a third of cases in women and 27% in men. The shoulder is most often at the center of this pain (16% of men and 19% of women). Next come MSDs of the elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.
“In France, in 2022, the intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) concerned 124,011 people and that for lumbar disc herniation (HDL) 20,971 people. Relatively stable results compared to 2018 (125,430 for CTS and 29,627 for (HDL). Women were the majority among patients undergoing surgery for SCC, while more men had undergone surgery for HDL.adds the French institute.
TMS: which sectors of activity are most at risk?
Data shows that work is linked to many cases of MSDs. They are, in fact, higher among working people with 60% of women and 54% of men reporting pain in their back and/or upper limbs. According to the work of Public Health France, the sectors of activity of the manufacturing industry and construction are the most at risk for men. For women, it is that of human health and social action.
“In the professional environment, prevention interventions integrating professional and personal risk factors must be carried out, such as adapting workstations, adapting the organization of work or even limiting psychosocial risks”recommends the health organization.
