WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?
The word "Ergonomics", is the study of work and the science that drives efficiency and effectiveness of doing that work. An erg (short for ergon, is a Greek word meaning "work"). It is a unit of energy and mechanical work equal to 10−7 joules.
Ergonomics is also concerned with keeping people safe, comfortable, and productive while they perform tasks at work and home.
Ergonomics is based on one simple principle: keeping the human joints and tissues from overextending themselves while modifying the work being done by adapting the tools to improve efficiency.
The goal of ergonomics is to reduce work effort and fatigue by designing equipment, tools, job tasks, and the environment to maximize productivity and efficiency.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
MSDs are a category of injuries that affect the body’s muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. These disorders can be the result of an acute trauma, like a back injury or muscle strain caused by a single incident, or a cumulative trauma which is the result of stress on the body over a period of time.
Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) or Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)
CTDs and RSI's are injuries that can result from excessive exposure to physical stressors that tax the body’s soft tissues (musculoskeletal system) over a period of time. Sometimes, these injuries are described by other names such as repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), overuse injuries, repetitive motion injuries (RMIs), and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
At TherAccess, we perform comprehensive ergonomic evaluation and recommend modifications to tools, tasks, jobs and work environments so that employees can carry out their function without injuring themselves.
Our treatments include, but are not limited to:
- Comprehensive examinations to establish base line function and document change over time
- Treatment of all neurological conditions: congenital, newly acquired or chronic
- Upper extremity rehabilitation (Gross and Fine motor control)
- Assessment and treatment of functional activities (daily living activities, homemaking, functional cognition, community re-entry, and use of assistive devices)
- Assessment and instruction in adaptive equipment
- Cognitive and Visual - Perceptual assessments and treatment
- Upper Extremity Prostheses: biomechanically-based assessment, recommendations and training
- Upper Extremity Splinting / Orthoses evaluation and fabrication
- Home accessibility, modification and adaptation consulting
