Watch a tennis match, and you’ll probably see more twisting and turning of the human body than in any other sport--unless you consider the workplace an athletic field.

With tennis the muscles and tendons are constantly winding and unwinding the body’s limbs. As a result, tennis players experience more than their share of painful injuries to their wrists, hips, shoulders, and ankles.

The workplace competes with the tennis court as the premiere site of twisting and turning, especially if workers are assigned the task of moving baggage, boxes, or books from a conveyor belt or loading dock to a storage area or workspace behind the workers.

Tools and equipment, even sandbags and human beings often need to be moved rapidly and safely. In the rush of handling the urgent situation, the worker can forget to keep the back straight and can turn the neck, shoulders, or legs too quickly while transferring a heavy load.

Twisting and turning can tear human tissue, break bones, and cause severe pain during the weeks of healing.

The first step in avoiding harmful twists and turns in the workplace is to call in an ergonomics technician to see what can be done to reduce muscle and tendon strain from sharp twisting movements of the back, arms, and shoulders.

The second step is to implement the suggestions and keep a sharp lookout for hard-working employees who are endangering their backs and their limbs by lifting heavy objects while twisting and turning..

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THINKING POINTS

"Your workplace should be designed to help you avoid long reaches, jerky
twisting movements, or awkward postures that can lead to back aches and pains." HealthMatters UC Berkely.

Arthritis and nerve spasms can cause even the simple twisting of a key in a door to render a worker's hand helpless.
FDA