Ideas on finding stats
 

One thing I have been searching for is a gov't. agency keeping stats on TOS or even RSIs. I bet since the computer OSHA and work comp have had a huge growth of RSIs, including TOS.

Does anyone have any idea on how to find them?

I've contacted CDC and searched the web, maybe someone here has had better luck?

Thanks for ANY info.

hey Tam
 

hey girl hope you are feeling better today and are able to enjoy your weekend!

I found this....is Canadian but I guess you could do a separate part
http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite....pertise#CRE-OD

http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/Public/Partners

not sure if any good but it was something for you anyway!!:D

take care and hope to see you in NOV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: BUT only if you are well enough to come...if not perhaps we need to set up a webcam!!!! LOL


love and hugs,
Victoria:hug::hug:

IME article
 

Hi Tamara, I hope you are doing well. I haven't been to the braintalk site in quite awhile and am not up with everyone but I hope all is as good as it can be! I was visited by another TOS victim today, who has an IME next week. I guess they are really putting her thru the ringer, they are calling in 3 or 4 specialist to sit in on the IME! She has a very good doctor who already did her IME, but it wasn't what they wanted to hear. I was trying to find the article you wrote about IME's and what to expect, but can't find it. I was hoping you could forward it to her and any other info you might have. I told her to look you up on braintalk and also how much you helped me with your wealth of information. I am not able to post her email address here for some reason, but her phone number is { please PM phone numbers - for safety & privacy}. I still have your phone number, but didn't want to bother you. I you think it's okay, I will call you and give you her email. Thanks again for any help you can give her!

I would start with pubmed not google.

Very often RSI's are lumped in with other work related musculosketal disorders. You need to track the rise in WRMSD and the ratio of rsi's to total WRMSD separately. I would guess offhand the rsi's are the main cause of the rise of such MSD. Sometimes they track upper body injuries separately which also will give you a better idea of rsi's rates that rates for injuries anywhere on the body.

Current research is that about 70% of the rsi's are TOS but that research is generally only known to TOS specialists and would not be reflected in offical stats.

Austraila tracks rsi's bettter but they also have much better preventitive and rehab programs so the rates are much lower there.


Am J Ind Med. 1997 May;31(5):600-8.Click here to read Links
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: comparison of data sources for surveillance.
Silverstein BA, Stetson DS, Keyserling WM, Fine LJ.

University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, USA.

Work-related upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders "associated with repeated trauma" account for more than 60% of all newly reported occupational illness, 332,000 in 1994 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These numbers do not include, for example, those disorders categorized as "injuries due to overexertion in lifting," approximately 370,000. Early identification of potential disorders and associated risk factors is needed to reduce these disorders. There are a number of possible methods for conducting surveillance for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDs) based on health outcome: workers' compensation, sickness and accident insurance, OSHA 200 logs, plant medical records, self-administered questionnaires, professional interviews, and physical examinations. In addition, hazard surveillance based on evaluation of job exposures to physical stressors by nonoccupational health personnel is possible. As part of a large labor-management-initiated intervention study to reduce the incidence of WMDs in four automotive plants, we were able to compare the strengths and limitations of each of these surveillance tools. University administered health interviews yielded the highest rate of symptoms; combined physical examinations plus interview (point prevalence) rates were similar to self-administered questionnaires (period prevalence) rates. Plant medical records yielded the lowest rate of WMDs. WMD status on self-administered questionnaire and on physical examination were associated with risk factor exposure scores. This study suggests that symptoms questionnaires and checklist-based hazard surveillance are feasible within the context of joint labor-management ergonomics programs and are more sensitive indicators of ergonomic problems than pre-existing data sources.

some of these might have info you are looking for -

Ergonomic info links:

http://office-ergo.com/goodergo.htm

http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/

You probably found the cdc/niosh site already but I thought I'd post it for anyone else that would like to see it.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/97-117pd.html -
[A Primer Based on Evaluations of Musculoskeletal Disorders
March, 1997
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-117
This document is contained below in seven PDF files, for ease of handling.
The following table of contents allows you to open or download the
files containing the sections of the document you want to see.
If you wish to download the entire document,
it is available as 97-117.pdf (146 pages, 6,879K).
This document are also available in an HTML version. ]

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-141/

http://hr.blr.com/

http://www.working-well.org/index.html

http://www.ergoweb.com/ --- (Up-to-date news; a valuable collaboration and networking community; and a huge collection of case studies, standards, guidelines and reference materials. )



"WRMSD data" Google results - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...ta&btnG=Search