Intro to Ergonomics Flashcards
What do PT’s assess in ergonomics?
-Repetitive strain syndrome assessment
-Postural analysis
-Movement analysis and retraining
-Ergonomic (work space) analysis and intervention
-Functional capacity evaluation
-Industrial disability assessment
What is the functional capacity evaluation?
-In a worker’s comp. environment
-Recreating working environment to see how much someone can tolerate
What is the industrial disability assessment?
-Determine if someone can or cannot do anything in their field anymore
-If they can’t do anything in their field of work, they are considered disabled
-Have to be retrained to do something else now
What do PT’s assess during ergonomic assessments?
-Static posture
-Dynamic posture
-Specific function or task
What is posture?
At any given moment, the static positioning of various joints and body segments (Kendall)
What is movement retraining?
The promotion of the maintenance of optimal postures during activities of daily living, repetitive tasks, and athletics
What is ergonomics?
The study of the interaction between the worker and their work
-Environment
-Processes
-Tasks
-Tools
-Equipment
What is proper lifting techniques?
-Back neutral
-Wide base of support
-Load close
-Use legs
-Don’t twist
-Get help
Why lift with legs?
-More force and power
-LE joints larger and more stable than spine
-Activity of quads, ITB, and glutes leaded to better tightening of fascial planes and force transmission through trunk
-Large muscular co-contractions/more GTO activity
What is needed for proper lifitng?
-Muscular strength
-Muscular endurance
-Joint ROM
-Flexibility
What does twisting while lifting lead to?
-Asymmetrical load bearing across spine and trunk
-Poor ability to balance
-Slack in overlapping annular rings of disc, more isolated strain patterns
-Non coupled movement patterns at facets; isolated strain points and facet impingement
What other assessments do PT’s do? What do we look for while doing this assessment?
-Gait or running analysis
-Patellofemoral tracking
-Supination/pronation of foot
-Limited joint ROM
-Achilles tendinopathies
-Scapular positioning
