User's Guide: At Risk? Continued...

The Shoulder

1.   shoulderThe shoulder is a common site for bursitis or tendinitis. Like tendinitis described earlier, bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that provides lubrication between a bone and a tendon. Some tendons in your shoulder pass through a narrow space between the bones (Figure below). There is also a bursa in this space. Both the tendons and bursa are at risk for irritation from such activities as repeated long reaching, sustained reaching, and/or lifting.
     
2.   Inadequate support of the arms when sitting for prolonged periods leads to forward head and rounded shoulders as the weight of your arms tends to pull you forward into this position.


The Elbow and Wrist

At the elbow:
1.   Forceful and/or repetitive work (e.g., typing, manual collating) by wrist and forward muscles can lead to tendinitis.
     
2.   Prolonged position of increased bending (i.e., >90%) at the elbow can compromise circulation to the wrist and hand and irritate nerves passing through the elbow region.
     
3.   Prolonged position of elbow extension (i.e. >90%) can cause an increase in stress and fatigue of muscles in the wrist and forearm, contributing to tendinitis.

nerve At the wrist:

As discussed earlier, the carpal tunnel region of the wrist is a narrow area enclosing tendons that bend your fingers and a major nerve, the median nerve. A variety of positions, activities, and other factors can all contribute to the onset of tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome (compression/irritation of median nerve) including:
1.   Prolonged position of increased wrist bending (flexion) or wrist extension, wrist deviation (tipping the hand sideways towards the little finger or thumb), or forearm supination (palm up).
     
2.   Sustained or forceful grip or pinch.
     
3.   Highly repetitive use of hand and wrist.
     
4.   Any combination of the above, especially with any added environmental factors (i.e., cold, vibration, or compression on carpal tunnel region).


The Low Back

Briefly, a mention of risk factors for low back pain is warranted because of the high incidence of low back pain in the general population. Primary contributing factors include:
1.   Prolonged, unsupported sitting.
     
2.   Improper bending and lifting.
     
3.   Poor physical condition, obesity.
   
       

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