Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back pain, upper and lower limb disorders, arthritis, sprains and strains are common issues in the workplace and are amongst the most significant reasons of absence from work

“In 2020, musculoskeletal (MSK) problems were the second most common cause of sickness absence, which accounted for 20.8 million days lost in work (17.5% of total sickness absence), surpassed only by absence due to minor illness such as cough and colds”. (Source: ONS)

Good MSK is integral to a healthy working life and is also fundamental to healthy ageing. It supports us with functional mobility and dexterity, balance and coordination, and contributes to muscular strength and endurance; essential to nearly all forms of work. It also enables us to stay physically and mentally fit and reduce the occurrence of other health problems and time away from work.

MSK disorders include osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, spinal disorders – neck pain, low back pain, prolapsed disc, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia, hip, knee, strains, sprains and fractures, bone conditions and various genetic and congenital disorders. They can be caused or made worse by the work a person does.

Symptoms of MSK conditions include:
  • Typically pain (often persistent)
  • Stiffness
  • Fatigue
  • Limitations in mobility and dexterity

These reduce the ability to work with employees more likely to be absent from work and when they are present, limiting their performance, concentration, and physical ability.

MSK conditions can also have a significant impact on mental health as living with a painful condition can lead to anxiety and depression, and depression is 4 times more common among people in persistent pain compared with those without pain. People with a mental health problem alongside a musculoskeletal condition are less likely to be at work.

A physically safe and healthy workplace prevents MSK risks, promotes health and wellbeing and is inclusive for those with MSK conditions.

Everybody is an individual and you can effectively support employees by adopting a holistic approach considering personal, health and work-related factors in a way that works best for them and your business.

To avoid the pain and disability MSK conditions can cause, the best approach is to prevent it and promote the importance of early intervention.

To do this you may wish to consider:
  • Effectively communicating and raising awareness to physical health in the workplace, creating a proactive work environment that promotes healthy behaviours and disclosure of issues before they become problems
  • Taking a proactive approach and encouraging and supporting workers to look after their MSK health both in and outside the workplace
  • Regularly reviewing risk assessments and checking accident and sickness absence records to spot trends and MSK hot-spots in the workplace and taking mitigating action
  • Signposting to appropriate support and services and being flexible in finding solutions to enable your staff to stay in work
  • Creating an open culture of health and wellbeing that provides opportunities for employees to speak up and share understanding of challenges and creation and ownership of solutions
  • Recognising that physical and mental health can be intrinsically linked and support may be required for both
Consider the activities at work affecting MSK health and take measures to mitigate them. These may include:
  • Fixed or constrained body positions (bending, crouching, stooping)
  • Continual repetition of movements
  • Force concentrated on small parts of the body, such as the hand or wrist
  • A pace of work that does not allow sufficient recovery between movements
  • Work with display screen equipment (DSE) – including PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones
  • Lifting heavy or bulky loads
  • Driving heavy vehicles, long-distance driving or driving over rough ground
  • Working with hand-held power tools for a long time
Some of the key factors exacerbating MSK health include:
  • Physical inactivity
  • Obesity
  • Multiple long term conditions

The resources and toolkits on this website will help you to support and signpost your people to help with all aspects of their health.

Having good MSK health can help your employees to carry out their daily tasks and activities easily and without pain, resulting in healthier, happier engaged employees with these benefits to your business:
  • Improved employee health
  • Lower staff absence
  • Increased productivity and efficiency
  • Reducing the levels and costs of sickness absences
  • Enhanced reputation for caring and doing the right thing
  • Drawing from the widest possible pool of talent
  • Securing and retaining high quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working
  • Saving time and money on the costs of recruitment and training by reducing staff turnover
  • Keeping valuable skills and experience
  • Improving employee morale and commitment by demonstrating that they treat all employees fairly
  • Less workplace injury, workers’ compensation and tribunal claims and grievances
  • Faster and sustained return to work after sickness absence

Support

Always suggest a person contacts their GP if they have any concerns regarding their health
  • Access to Work – can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for:
    • a grant to help pay for practical support with your work
    • support with managing your mental health at work
    • money to pay for communication support at job interviews
  • An online advice service has been developed on GOV.UK giving support with employee health and disability for employers and managers to help you support employees and understand any legal requirements. There are links to government and other organisations that can help. The guidance will help you with:
    • managing absences and keeping in touch
    • having conversations with your employee, in and out of work
    • deciding on changes to help them stay or come back to work
  • Disability Confident employer scheme – GOV.UK  – being Disability Confident is a unique opportunity to lead the way in your community, and you might just discover someone your business cannot do without. It was developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives to make it rigorous but easily accessible, particularly for smaller businesses
  • Accessing physiotherapy – NHS – to find out the options available to you if you need physiotherapy
  • Wiltshire Physiotherapy Services – access to local support
  • Health Coaches – will work with you to improve your health and make positive lifestyle changes. Your coach can assist you every step of the way to achieve and maintain your goals. The service is free and available for adults aged 18 and over
  • Healthy Us – is a free weight management and healthy lifestyle programme available to anyone living in Wiltshire (with a Wiltshire postcode), aged 18 years or over, with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 or above (Enter your weight and height into the NHS healthy weight calculator to check your BMI). Healthy Us – booking information
  • Active Health – is a Wiltshire Council scheme for physical activity opportunities for those referred by a medical professional. There can be a range of medical reasons for referral, and a range of exercise programmes available across the county in Leisure Centres and other local facilities at a reduced rate
  • Wiltshire & Swindon Sport Partnership – WASP – contains local links and opportunities/ groups to support you to be active
  • NHS Health Check – is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions. A NHS Health Check helps find ways to lower this risk. If you’re in the 40 to 74 age group without a pre-existing condition, you should receive a letter from your GP surgery inviting you for a free NHS Health Check every 5 years. You can also call your GP surgery to book a Health Check

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Resources

  • MECC Link – is an online signposting tool available to everyone in B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire to help find out where support can be accessed for health and wellbeing. MECC Link
  • Access Wiltshire Physiotherapy Services
  • Musculoskeletal disorders – HSE– provides a comprehensive set of tools, checklists and templates for employers including guidance for manual handling, upper limb disorders (ULD’s), Display screen equipment (DSE) and homeworkers
  • To help support workers with long-term health conditions and disabled employees, use the HSE: Simple principles to create an enabling workplace culture, where disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions feel valued and thrive
  • Working safely with display screen equipment – advice and guidance from the HSE including checklists, assessment templates, training and information
  • Better Health – NHS – for tools, tips and special offers to move more every day
  • Back pain – NHS – advice from the NHS including ideas to ease back pain and when to contact your GP
  • Food for healthy bones – NHS – information on how a healthy balanced diet will help you build healthy bones from an early age and maintain them throughout your life
  • Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) – all you need to know about back pain, informed by physiotherapists
  • Reading Well – Wiltshire Libraries have focused reading lists of books (physical and on-line) to help with specific issues including getting active, stress, anxiety and depression available for free. The books on the Reading Well lists have been recommended by health professionals to help people to understand and manage their health and wellbeing using self-help reading
  • Wiltshire Together – a free community platform that connects people, charities, community groups and organisations in Wiltshire to their community. You can search for local events, volunteering opportunities, and nearby support
  • The free Midlife MOT website – encourages people to review their skills and brings together trusted services to help you start thinking about your work, health and money with future planning in mind

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Toolkits

  • Musculoskeletal Health Toolkit for Employers (bitc.org.uk) – provides practical advice for employers regarding employee musculoskeletal health and reducing workplace absence. This musculoskeletal health toolkit can help you understand the challenges specific to your workplace, reduce the risks of problems, help to keep those with existing problems in work and aid recovery where possible
  • BITC’s Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Healthier Weight: A Toolkit For Employers – this toolkit shows how working in partnership with employees, employers can take a positive, proactive, preventative approach to support weight management and encourage greater physical activity
  • The Mid-Life MOT: helping employees navigate mid-life (bitc.org.uk) – this toolkit provides HR and other senior managers with tools and insights to support a growing older workforce. It explains how mid-life MOTs can help employees reflect on their working futures. In particular, their personal, employment and wellbeing needs, when they might want to retire, and how to plan effectively for their financial futures
  • The HSE’s Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC) tool – is a tool aimed at employers, health and safety managers and safety representatives and is used by health and safety inspectors. The tool will help you assess the most common risk factors in lifting (and lowering), carrying and team handling operations and was developed to identify high-risk manual handling. It will point you towards the factors you need to modify to control these risks.
  • Van Driver Toolkit – from National Highways. Access the interactive online toolkit and share resources with your drivers (includes printable versions) to support their health and safety
  • SOM MSK Health Toolkit for Employers and FE Institutions – this toolkit sets out practical advice for employers and FE institutions to help adolescents and young people maintain good MSK health and help those with existing MSK conditions to thrive in their environment
  • Healthy Weight 4 Life Toolkit – information for healthy weight across all ages, including top tips and further support

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Learning and Development

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