MUSCULO-SKELETAL

DISORDERS (MSDs)
 MUSCULO-SKELETAL
DISORDERS
• A type of condition where
the musculoskeletal
system is affected
• Also called cumulative
trauma disorder (CTD)
• Brought about by stresses
sustained by the body for
long periods of time
– Stretch farther
– Bend often
– Sit longer
– Type more
Shoulder Pain
• Developed by more
than half of computer
users each year.
• Tight neck
• Involves muscle
spasms in the neck
and upper shoulders
Causes of shoulder pain
• Static posture for
long period of time
• Keyboarding and
mousing
• Elevated shoulders
• Kyphotic posture
while typing
 Postural Kyphosis
Postural Kyphosis is
characterized by an excessive
curve of the upper back that
forms a hump, and accompanied
by the rounding of shoulders
forwards. 

Desk-bound workers are more

prone to develop this condition
due to long hours in poor posture,
which causes a weakening of the
muscles and ligaments in the
back and tight chest muscles.
Causes of neck pain
• Cradling the phone
• Neck flexion
• Prolonged typing
• Hunchback posture
• Tilted or rotated head
• Head forward posture
• Monitor too high or
too low
 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
– Impingement of the
median nerve caused
by irritation and
swelling of the
tendons in the carpal CARPAL

tunnel LIGAMENT

BONES TENDONS MEDIAN

NERVE

SYMPTOMS
Pain in the first three fingers
and the thumb
numbness and tingling in
these areas
 Symptoms of CTS
• Increased occurrence
of dropped objects
• Loss of the sense of
touch
• Tingling and numbness
in the fingers and hand
• Loss of grip strength
• Pain in the shoulder
while sleeping
• Burning in the wrist
area
Causes of CTS
• Can be a genetic predisposition
• Maybe caused by prolonged
use of the mouse but was
contradicted by a Harvard study
in 2006
• Awkward posture
• Repetitiveness of the task (i.e.
keyboarding)
• Force applied
• Working with cold hands
• Time on task
Grip strength as a Function of
Wrist and Forearm Position
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
(wrist tendonitis)
• inflammation of the
flexor and extensor
tendons surrounding
the joint
• Affects the wrist and
thumb
• Caused by repetitive
movements
(cumulative trauma)
 How to diagnose DeQuervain’s
Disease
1. bend your thumb into the
palm of your hand;
2. close your fingers over
your thumb (make a fist);
3. finally, bend your wrist
away from the thumb,
towards your small finger

If you feel pain over the tendons to the

thumb, in the wrist, and/or thumb,
you may be experiencing
deQuervain's tenosynovitis.
Upper and Lower Back Pain
• Most prevalent MSD among workers
• Characterized by muscle spasms and
sometimes tingling pain in the back
• Causes
– Poor posture
– Sitting for long periods of time
– Not taking rest breaks
Herniated Disc
• A cause of extreme
back pain
• a portion of the
spinal disc pushes
outside its normal
boundary
• the spinal nerves
and spinal cord can
become pinched
Symptoms of Herniated Disc
• Electric shock pains
in the arms (disc in
neck region) and leg
(disc in the lumbar
region)
• Tingling and
numbness
• Muscle weakness
• Bowel or bladder
problems
 Causes of Herniated Disc
• Poor lifting posture
• Poor posture while working
• Repetitive bending
• Repetitive twisting of the body