According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders made up 33 percent of all work-related injury and illness cases in 2011. When considering the impact of proper ergonomics on workplace safety, ACA stresses three basic principles: 1. When lifting, the largest muscles in the area should perform the task. The larger the muscle or muscle group used for lifting, the lower the stress on smaller, more vulnerable muscles. 2. During any work activities, people should be able to comfortably assume a number of different postures and not remain in one position for an extended time. Muscles will fatigue and be more prone to injury when assuming a particular posture, especially a poor one (e.g., partially bent forward at the waist). 3. When performing tasks, it is important to keep the joints either in their neutral posture or approximately halfway into the range of motion. Working with your joints at the extremes of their ranges of motion for prolonged periods places abnormal stresses on them and can cause repetitive stress injuries. Our bodies are not designed to maintain the same posture for long periods of time or to repeat the same motions endlessly, said ACA President Keith Overland, DC. Stretches and exercises can help prevent pain and injury. There are also natural, cost-effective approaches to treating pain, such as chiropractic services, that can help patients avoid unnecessary drugs or surgery. For more information about creating a healthier working environment, please visit ACAs website for health and wellness tips.

The importance of spinal ligament testing is to quickly determine if a spinal sprain has occurred due to the vehicle collision. Ligaments hold the spine together and when they are injured it is called a spinal sprain. The neck is a very flexible part of the spine and therefore makes it very susceptible to injuries from sudden movement, such as what may be experienced in a car collision. Whiplash, a common injury resulting from a car collision, may be a sprain or strain of the neck. This sprain or strain occurs when the ligaments stretch or tear, causing the vertebra to misalign. This type of injury can cause chronic pain and long term health problems if not treated accurately and early. Therefore, to reduce the possible risk of chronic pain from the actual injury, spinal ligament damage should be tested for early on in care. Dr. Philip Roberts and Dr. John McMurry from Roberts Chiropractic Center have teamed with Dr. Jeffrey Cronk from Spinal Kinetics to provide the River Valley with advanced spinal ligament testing via Computerized Radiographic Mensuration Analysis (CRMA). CRMA allows medical professionals to more accurately and reliably determine the problem areas of the spine. Finally a way to objectively evaluate soft tissue/ligament injury and accurately determine treatment! For more information go to the "Patient Education" section on our website and read the information under Spinal Sprain in Conditions Treated.