April 10, 2007 – People who are less active in their free time are more likely to inflict joint injuries – such as tendonitis, bursitis or capsulitis – in the course of their work, according to a Canadian study1.
Physiotherapists in Vancouver studied a cohort of 58,622 workers aged 15 to 74 who suffered from upper body musculoskeletal disorders in the past 12 months. According to the researchers, spending 40 or more hours per week sitting at a desk leads to muscle weakness and stiffness, “a recipe for producing repetitive strain injuries.”
In contrast, people who are active outside of work hours are more agile and enjoy better musculoskeletal balance. They are therefore less likely to be injured. Playing sports such as golf, tennis or baseball once a week did not increase the risk of developing repetitive motion injuries.
The authors of the study found that women, people who smoke and those who suffer from obesity are more injured at work. It is estimated that about 6% of Canadians suffer from repetitive motion injuries associated with work, including conditions affecting the wrist or hand (39%), shoulder (29%) or elbow (26%).
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to CBS.
1. Ratzlaff CR, Gillies JH, Koehoorn MW. Work-related repetitive strain injury and leisure-time physical activity. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Mar 29; 57 (3): 495-500 [Epub ahead of print]
