Movement is to musculoskeletal health what sunshine is to our skin

Just as the sun is a prerequisite for life, movement and exercise are essential for a person’s mental and physical wellbeing. Physical activity has positive effects on virtually all aspects of health. Regular exercise is also a medicine, a proven treatment for a wide range of conditions, including mental disorders, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. However, one special case in the nexus between health and movement exists:  musculoskeletal health.   

It is a special case because, in addition to its positive effects, movement also has direct negative effects on health: excessive movement directed at a body part, either through momentary or prolonged strain, is a typical cause of musculoskeletal complaints. As a concrete example, hundreds of thousands of sports injuries are reported in Finland every year, all of which are also musculoskeletal complaints. 

 

Movement and physical activity have huge positive impacts on health. However, excessive movement of one body part is also a key contributor to musculoskeletal problems 

What should we think about this?

So, should we act according to our brain’s biological default setting of conserving energy whenever possible and not exercise to avoid musculoskeletal problems? No, definitely not!   

However, the above-mentioned special relationship between exercise and health and wellbeing must be taken into account at individual level and in the quantity and quality of exercise, as the professionals at Pihlajalinna also do.  

At an organisational level, it is important to consider the dual relationship between movement and musculoskeletal health, for example, when selecting and targeting occupational health measures: If the aim is to improve employee health in general or to promote physical activity among employees in particular, the focus should be on physical activity services in the first instance (e.g. Services of Forever recreation centres for occupational healthcare customers and personal physical activity advice from an occupational physiotherapist). If the aim is to reduce musculoskeletal problems and absences caused by them, organisations should look primarily at musculoskeletal health services (such as the TULETKO survey and self-referral to an occupational physiotherapist) that take a holistic approach on the different dimensions and components of musculoskeletal health, such as mobility. 

Of occupational health professionals, occupational physiotherapists are the ones who have the necessary expertise and role at the intersection of mobility, musculoskeletal health and work capacity, and with whom you can discuss in more detail the solutions that fit your organisation’s objectives.  

”Finally, two pieces of health advice for day-to-day work: look away from your screen at something far away every once in a while and remember to move about (you could take a quick walk to that far-away place and back again).” 

Lauri Raivo 

Pihlajalinna Service Manager, Occupational Physiotherapy 

 

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