"The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) believes that occupational therapists can support workplaces to foster the personal health and well-being of workers and develop environments that support productivity and a positive workplace culture. Occupational therapists have the skills, knowledge and expertise to propose strategies ranging from those relating to return-to-work to those centred on the prevention of disability and promotion of health in workplaces."

To prepare occupational therapists to deliver services to address workplace health and well-being, CAOT proposes goals which encourage occupational therapists to facilitate workplaces’ understanding of disability, work performance evaluation, work accommodation and how to increase worker retention (CAOT). This goal from CAOT, specifically applies to this client case related to workplace ergonomics leading to neck and upper back pain. Thus, for occupational therapists dealing with client cases that involve similar characterisitcs can use the following strategies and resources:

Understanding Neck and Upper Back Pain

To understand how your brain and body systems are responding to the painful sensation in your neck and upper back, it is important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with this pain. Better recognition of painful sensations and the multiple ways pain can resonate in an indiviual will help clients seek treatment promtly, and have a quick recovery. For a list of pain sensations that may indicate neck and upper back issues, as well as treatment suggestings including self-care and pharmacological suggestions Click here.

Good Posture vs. Bad Posture

Good posture is something that we should all strive for because of the large amount of health benefits that are associated with it. Daily activities such as carrying heavy weights and typing on your computer takes a serious toll on your body and may cause problems like being hunched over. There are a number of risks associated with having a poor posture, to learn more on this and how to prevent it please Click Here.

Effects of sitting and muscle strains

For more information about the effects of sitting and muscle strain click here

Motor Performance

To find out more information about an assessment that Occupational Therapists are often involved in for 'return to work', Click Here

Exercises to Relieve Neck and Upper Back Pain

There are a range of different exercises that Occupational Therapists can recommend to help clients stretch and strengthen their neck and upper back muscles. These exercises can help relieve pain or discomfort, prevent neck and upper back pain from recurring, improve posture, as well as restore movement and even improve range of motion. The exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles that support the neck and upper back can be found here.

Practice Schedules and Motor Learning Principles

It is important for occupational therapists to consider and understand the basics of motor learning and practice scheduling when developing an exercise program for a client. Foundational principles can be seen and understood in detail on the page entitled “learning to perform an exercise program”. However, the most important consideration is to consider the individual needs and desires of your client. As occupational therapists, it is important to be client centered and to develop an understanding of what works (or does not work) for your client. Everyone learns differently, so it is crucial that you capitalize on this knowledge to optimize patient outcomes.

Workstation set-up

For tips on setting up a desk workstation to promote good posture please click here.

Applications

Applications that help prompt people to take breaks and allows for a seamless integration into peoples routines. Technology has been prooving to be useful in all areas of peoples lives. Apps have been developed to aid in multiple domains for peoples convience. Thus, occupational therapists can use applications as an intervention strategy for clients busy lives. Apps that can be used to help clients remember to take breaks can be found here.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

From manual labour jobs to long hours at the office, proper precautions in the workplace need to be taken to maintain wrist health and prevent the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. Research has shown that the prolonged use of work tools that produce large amounts of vibration, or repetitive extension and flexion of the wrist can lead to the development of this condition. The requirement for mouse and keyboard work may also lead to the precipitation of carpal tunnel syndrome. OTs play a role in the diagnosis of CTS, education on prevention, providing office adaptations for prevention and management of CTS, as well as adapting tools and performance task analysis to help those who have already developed the condition. For more information of the OT role and CTS in general please click here