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News Releases
Does Your Job Overwork Your Body?
Columbia, Mo. (May 2, 2007) -Work is a big part of everyday life. In fact, the average American works 7.5 hours a day, according to the US Department of Labor. You spend a lot of time working but, does your work environment work for you?
Work can often take a damaging toll on the human body. If you have arthritis, your job may impact your health more than you realize. In fact, about 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis are unable to work 10 years after diagnosis.
It might behoove you to pay attention to details now, rather than become a statistic later. Consider if any of the following describe your work situation, as suggested by Diana Baldwin, occupational therapist at the University of Missouri-Columbia and researcher for the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC):
- Frequent days missed from work. Have you missed a considerably number of days from work this year?
- Working fewer hours. Have you had to shorten your work days or week?
- Limitations. Are you less able to perform regular tasks due to stiffness or pain?
- Changed job tasks, modified work station or job. Have you given up certain job tasks or your job?
- Aggravated symptoms.Do you have increased stiffness, pain, headaches, and swollen joints?
- Increased fatigue. Do you have to rest after your work shift? Have you decreased home and leisure activities due to fatigue?
- Need more assistance from co-workers. Do you ask for help carrying, lifting, and moving things?
- Need assistance at home. Do you ask others to help with grocery shopping, driving, or cleaning because of stiffness, pain, or fatigue?
If any of these factors are affecting your work, it may be time to consider working with an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist can help adapt the way you work or your work environment to prevent injury, increase comfort and safety. You will be given a personal evaluation of your current work situation and be offered practical advice and help, tailored to your specific needs. Talk to your physician about the benefits of working with an occupational therapist and if one is right for you.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation Center (MARRTC) is recruiting volunteers to participate in a study to decrease the negative effects of arthritis in the work setting. Eligible participants should be between the ages of 18 and 60, are currently employed full- or part-time, and have been diagnosed with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. For more information about this project, call (877) 882-6826 or visit http://www.marrtc.org/research/proj3/about.html
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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