Pain can result from a sudden injury or can develop over time. We all have experienced pain after a fall or when we have hit our thumb with a hammer. Pain that develops slowly over time is also common.

Medical studies have identified several risk factors for muscle pain related to the individual.

Activity Risk factors. Science studies have identified several risk factors for muscle pain related to activities. They include repetition, force, posture, vibration, temperature, contact stress, and unaccustomed activities.

Most everyone has heard about carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a pinched nerve at the wrist. The median nerve is the nerve that controls the first 3 or 4 fingers.

Karolinska Institute in Sweden shows that work absence can be related to psychosocial issues as well as physical risk factors.

The term “ergonomics” was first used by Wojciech Jastrzebowski, a Polish scholar, in 1857. He derived it from the Greek word ergon (work) and nomos (principle or law) to mean the Science of Work.

The goals of ergonomics are to: decrease risk of injury/illness, enhance worker productivity and improve quality of work life. This is often accomplished by an ergonomists who uses information about people...

CTDs = Cumulative Trauma Disorders, RMI = Repetitive Motion Injury and RSI = Repetitive Strain Injury

Ergonomics is sometimes described as "fitting the system to the human," meaning that through informed decisions; equipment, tools, environments and tasks can be selected and designed to fit unique human abilities and limitations.