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The Stress and Strain Connection

If you think it's likely that you'll hurt yourself while lifting, does it increase the chances of it happening? Researchers say yes. A study of 217 male workers lifting in various jobs answered this question.

The most common source of pain was the low back, followed by shoulder, upper back and hips, upper legs, and neck. Finger pain was rare. The actual number of workers with body aches and pains on any given day is quite high. This is called prevalence.

One of every two workers reported low back pain sometime during a 12-month period of time. One in three reported pain in the other regions listed. The prevalence of work-related low back pain is higher among manual workers than in the general adult population.

Low back and other body pain occurs in response to workers' worries about injury. Their knowledge of their own jobs, health, and sense of well-being all tie into their view of risks in lifting. Improving workers’ job satisfaction and reducing stress can be a factor in reducing the risk of injury. Less emotional and psychologic strain may reduce the sense of worry about injury and the actual amount of back and body pain.

References: Simon S. Yeung, MPhil, PT, et al. Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Single and Multiple Body Regions and Effects of Perceived Risk of Injury Among Manual Handling Workers. In Spine. October 1, 2002. Vol. 27. No. 19. Pp. 2166-2172.

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