Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes fatigue, pain in the muscles and ligaments (the bands of tissuethat connect bone to bone), and tender areas in certain points of the body.
Around 9 out of 10 of those affected by fibromyalgia are women. In most cases, fibromyalgia develops between the ages of 30 and 60, but it can develop in people of any age, including children and the elderly. Around 1 in 100 people develop fibromyalgia at some point in their life and there are around 14,700 new cases in the UK each year.
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The Cost of Work Related Upper Limb Disorders
Attempts to tackle upper-limb disorders in workers should focus on psychological factors such as work-stress as well as physical risk factors, according to new research.A major study conducted by the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive followed over 3,000 worker over a 15-month period to assess role of work-stress and other psychological factors in the development of musculoskeletal disorders.
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Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is numbness, tingling and pain in the thumb and fingers of one or both hands. It is caused by pressure on the nerve that passes into the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in women than in men. One survey found that it affects 7% of women, compared with 1% of men. The condition can occur at any age, but tends to affect those in their 40s and 50s.
The carpal tunnel is a narrow space at the front of your wrist. The tendons that bend the fingers and wrist pass through this space. A tough ligament, known as the retinaculum, covers the carpal tunnel and prevents the tendons pulling away from your wrist when it is bent.
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Children at Risk from Upper Limb Disorders
There is increasing concern about the adverse effects on children from excessive computer, texting and mobile telephone use. But this concern is largely limited to the social and psychological effects and not to the physical damage which can be inflicted on the soft tissues of a child’s hands and forearms. Even the reports of the Royal Ergonomic Society and other authoritative organisations make no reference to possible physical damage in the upper limbs from mobile telephone and computer use by children.
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