Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD or MSK) are a set of conditions that affect joints, bones and muscles. Some common musculoskeletal disorders include repetitive strain injury, tendonitis, herniated discs, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, etc.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) are conditions in which the work performance or work environment significantly contributes to the condition or worsens due to persistent longer working durations.
In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released evidence for work-related MSDs. Work conditions that may lead to WRMD include:
- Lifting heavy objects.
- Constant exposure to full-body vibration.
- Daily overhead work.
- Performing repetitive tasks that require chronic flexing of the neck or joints.
MSK is associated with high absenteeism and reduced productivity at work. In fact, MSK is one of the biggest drivers of workplace absenteeism that leads employers to incur high costs. Here are some quick stats to give you an idea of the graveness of MSK at the workplace.
- 1 out of 8 working-age populations have reported suffering from MSK related conditions.
- The manufacturing and services industry sectors together accounted for about half of all Musculoskeletal cases.
- 23% of employee workdays are lost due to MSK-related disorders, and
- 33% of long-term sickness is associated with Musculoskeletal conditions.
- 13% of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) receipts in 2015 stated MSK as their primary condition.
According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1/3rd of workers’ compensation costs are from ergonomic injuries. Poor ergonomics can result from:
- Excessive force while lifting or pushing and pulling heavy objects or people.
- Performing repetitive motions with improper techniques.
- An incorrect posture that adds stress to the body.
- Exposure to extreme temperatures.
- Exposure to full body vibration.
- Combined risk factors.
Early detection and intervention of these issues can limit the severity of the injury, improve the effectiveness of the treatment, reduce the likelihood of damage or disability and significantly reduce the compensation claims by employees.
BioFunctional Health Solutions helps employers offer MSK prevention programs as a part of employee benefits. With BioFunctional Health, employers can enjoy several benefits, like:
- Increased employee retention.
- Detecting MSK before they cause serious issues helps eliminate employee downtime and productivity loss.
- Preventing MSK can cut down both employer and employee costs spent on addressing those issues.
According to BioFunctional Health’s CEO, Brent Kruel, “We are radically passionate about improving the quality of life for American employees leading to a better tomorrow for them and their employers.”
He further added, ”We believe employee well-being is of utmost importance for every employer, including you. Their health and wellness impact the bottom line of your business, which is why we bring you customizable solutions designed to suit businesses of all sizes. Our services are spread across industries like construction, manufacturing, transport, mining, oil, gas and energy.”
BioFunctional Health Solutions coined the term “health assurance” that combines the best of employee wellness, occupational health and screening/preventive tools to keep employee health in check. The BHS approach is different from others because we seek to understand your business objectives and your employees’ roles to customize a proper solution.
Our 4-step work overview involves:
1. Assessment
Every business is different. We help you save time and money by analyzing the gaps in your current employee health and wellness program and determine what we can do best to serve the interest of the employees and employers.
2. Designing
We work with you every step of the way to identify the KPIs, key stakeholders and governance process you use to measure success in your organization and design a health assurance program accordingly.
3. Implementation
We leverage the latest technology and innovations in healthcare and drive satisfaction through our professionally designed training programs.
4. Education
We stay in touch with your company’s key stakeholders through quarterly review programs and ensure that your employees benefit the most from our health assurance program.
Complete wellness is of utmost importance in today’s world. Our efforts to leverage traditional occupational health is spearheaded by Mark Fretta, President at BioFunctional Health Solutions. We are thought leaders in employee healthcare providers and continue to evolve to effectively screen and treat MSK.
According to Mark, “as company safety and employee health continue to evolve post-COVID-19, we are trying our best to innovate new ways to address the physical and mental wellbeing of employees at workplaces and in work-from-home environments.”
About BioFunctional Health Solutions
Biofunctional Health Solutions started in 2007 as an employee healthcare provider for a Fortune 500 company and since then has served several clients, from small businesses to MNCs across the world. They believe in offering technology-enabled customized solutions and leverage evidence-based best practices for employee healthcare and wellness.
