Repetitive strain injury statistics

A study conducted in Canada in 2001 and published in Health Reports showed that a full one out of ten Canadian citizens were afflicted with a type of repetitive strain injury that limited their activities.

The Canadian Community Health Survey, conducted in September of the year 2000 showed that roughly two million and three hundred thousand people were afflicted with repetitive stress injuries in Canada alone. The study also showed the prevalence of repetitive stress injury with regards to the various parts of the body that they affected. The study showed that about twenty five percent, or one fourth of all cases of repetitive stress injuries occurred in the neck or in the shoulder of the affected individuals. Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome came in second place with twenty three percent of all repetitive stress injuries being reported to occur in the wrists or hands. The back was the third most likely place for a repetitive stress injury to occur, with nineteen percent of all cases occurring there. The elbow and lower arm represented sixteen percent of all cases in the study, and seventeen percent of the cases occurred in an unspecified area.

More than fifty percent of all repetitive stress injuries occurred due to a type of work in the workplace. The second-most responsible activities resulting in a case of repetitive stress injury varied between men and women, with men experiencing the problem more often than not due to participation in a physical activity such as a sport. In women, the second-most responsible cause for a case of repetitive stress injury was chores or unpaid work.

The 1996 United States of America Bureau of Labor statistics showed that as many as six hundred and forty seven thousand injuries were the result of work-related activities. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health stated that approximately fifty percent of the work force will develop repetitive strain injuries in the year 2000.

One thing that employers can do in order to lessen the risk of repetitive stress injury development in its workers is to encourage stretch breaks. A simple few minutes a day of rest can prove to be effective in limiting the amount of repetitive stress injuries that develop.

Now that you know more about how wide-spread the problem with repetitive stress injuries is, you should be able to see that nearly everyone is susceptible to developing the problem. If you think that you may be developing a case of repetitive stress injury, you may want to speak to a doctor in order to get an informed decision about whether or not the problem is present and if you should take a course of action to work towards eliminating it.

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