HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING MOTION IS LOTION
There were 498,000 workers suffering from musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in 2018/2019, accounting for 6.9m working days lost. Teaming up with a physiotherapist could help mitigate the risks, suggests Katie Knapton, Founder of PhysioFastOnline.
There is an old saying in the physiotherapy world – ‘motion is lotion’ which basically means that all our joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles thrive on movement.
Unfortunately, most people forget this when they are at work, either because they are spending a lot of time sitting at their desks or are focussed on completing a single and often repetitive physical task.
Perhaps more importantly it is an area that many FM companies are failing to address despite the significant benefits that keeping both an office based and field-based workforce healthy can bring. By promoting health and wellbeing, companies will be able to prevent injuries and reduce sick leave thereby mitigating the impact on their operations.
Teaming up with a physiotherapist to create a series of virtual exercise tutorials could be one way to help employees avoid musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. This could be hosted on a company intranet portal or even on a YouTube page. The tutorials could be integrated into existing staff development plans.
I would also encourage HR teams to make physio-led exercise sessions an important part of any work induction. As the advice can be swiftly forgotten once the session is over it is a good idea to record the training and make it downloadable, so staff can access it in the future, or even create a useful e-book that contains diagrams of key exercises.
Even if a business does take proactive measures to prevent MSK conditions, there will be instances where employees pick up certain injuries anyway – and once again an online solution is worth considering. Physiotherapists are the best clinicians to manage MSK conditions and quick diagnosis is key for a fast recovery.
However, a face-to-face appointment is not always required. Leading research has found that video physiotherapy consultations are as effective as face-to- face appointments and our experience - as a provider - is that three in four people can be triaged, assessed and supported online without any need for physical treatment.
At PFO we support businesses by giving their staff fast access to online healthcare within the comfort of their own home or work place. We have also teamed up with a GP and psychology services to offer a complete healthcare package. Our team of physiotherapists are trained as frontline clinicians, so they are also able to screen for any underlying medical issues and advise on appropriate action if required.
48 | TOMORROW’S FM
This rapid support helps your workforce avoid long term chronic pain and illness, ease worry and guide patients into the correct treatment protocol. In our ever busier lives this online support is becoming invaluable to patients and companies to support their bodies and minds.
Conclusion Improved access to digital health solutions, such as an online videocall service, now provide businesses with a solid return on investment due to a reduction in absenteeism levels and improved employee engagement and productivity. It can also help attract and retain good quality people.
www.physiofastonline.co.uk/
Top tips for staying fit and healthy at work • Avoid working too long without moving (take regular breaks and add stretches into your routine).
• Check your work set-up and tools - there are a huge amount of ergonomic materials to help make you more comfortable.
• Try and get fit – ‘if exercise was a pill everyone would be on it’ is a famous phrase.
• Go for a walk at lunch time and organise walking meetings.
• Get up and go and speak to your colleagues rather than sending emails.
• Also, remember to relax - when you are stressed or busy this can increase muscle tension and affect movement.
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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