It’s Tradie’s National Health Month so I thought it would be appropriate to shed some light on common workplace injuries. And not just those that occur on a building site, those that occur in the office, at the desk, in the car etc. Everyone’s day will be dominated by different types of routine, repetitive movements, odd jobs here and there which all contribute towards the daily aches and pains that people suffer from.

In saying that, as an Osteopath it is part of the job to recognise patterns amongst all types of work so if you know what someone does as a job, you have a general idea of what they will be ‘presenting’ with. Just like it is really common for AFL players to ‘do’ an ACL, it is very common for chippies to suffer from tennis elbow, and desk workers to suffer from headaches, neck and/or back pain - you get the idea.

It is certainly NEVER a cookie-cutter approach however there are tendencies within each profession for certain injuries. If your profession isn’t listed below, see if you can draw your own comparisons to those that are. Or better yet, come up with common pain presentations and the common reasons why for people in your profession. Let’s suss it out below:

TRADES - generally speaking Tradies can be a difficult demographic to treat due to their strong work ethic. Ie. Prescribing ‘rest’ never sits well. Often it comes down to movement modification and simple daily stretches and mobility exercises to assist in symptomatic relief.

Common trades pain presentations:

• Low back pain

• Tennis elbow

• Sore neck

• Hip pain

Tasks contributing to pain presentations:

• Repetitive motion ie using a hammer and/or drill

• Carrying heavy loads

• Often working in awkward spaces

• Performing difficult tasks in hard to reach places

• Long hours driving

• Physical work early in the morning without an adequate warm-up

HEALTH & FITNESS - despite working in the industry, professionals within the health & fitness industry are susceptible to experiencing odd (or constant) aches or pains. Often these professionals have high pain thresholds with the constant desire to always put others before themselves. It is generally shift-type work that needs to be broken up with specific exercises and/or stretches specific for their injury.

Common health and fitness pain presentations:

• Nurses: Low back and/or hip pain; foot & knee injuries; low back pain 

• Physical therapists (Osteos, physios, chiros, etc): RSI injuries, low back pain 

• Personal Trainers: Injuries related to lifting weights 

Tasks contributing to pain presentations:

• Nurses: Long hours on feet with unsupportive / too supportive footwear

• Physical therapists: Lack of consideration with body position when it comes to administering treatments; inadequate management in between patient consultations

OFFICE BASED - people who work at their desk with a laptop and/or desktop computer, are often there for hours on end. Prescribing this demographic with some specific stretches and mobility exercises that they can do at their desk is the best way to break up their workday. Often it is the fact that they are sedentary for hours on end (at the same time as being highly stressed) which contributes to their pain and discomfort.

Common office-based pain presentations:

• Neck and shoulder pain

• RSI injuries

• Headaches

• Hip & low back pain

Tasks contributing to pain presentations:

• Keyboard, mouse + computer screen usage and setup

• Office chair setup

• Phone setup & usage

• If driving a lot - car seat setup

• High heels

HOSPITALITY / RETAIL BASED - people working in hospitality and retail often present with complaints related to standing for long hours. Particularly in hospitality, in combination with standing for long periods, people are often expected to carry, lift and serve items that can be awkward and heavy to carry. 

Common hospitality and retail-based pain presentations:

• Neck and shoulder pain

• Low back pain

• Foot & knee pain

• Rib pain

Tasks contributing to pain presentations:

• Carrying weight out in front/overhead (eg holding heavy plates, stacking racks and/or shelves)

• Long hours on feet with inappropriate footwear

• Carrying heavy items