CDC Highlights our Collaborative Research on Upper Limb MSDs

August 19, 2021

As part of the 50th anniversary of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a recent blogpost by the CDC showcases some of the collaborative research between the UC Ergonomics Research Program and the University of Connecticut; University of Iowa; University of Utah/University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program (SHARP), and Washington University in St. Louis.

The Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorder Consortium is a collaborative research program to prevent work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The Consortium studies work-related MSDs to better understand and help prevent the work-related risk factors for:
  • carpal tunnel syndrome

  • tendinitis of the forearm and wrist

  • shoulder disorders

The Consortium has impacted the research and practice of occupational ergonomics in many ways that are outlined in the blogpost. For example, this research informed the Revised Strain Index that improved upon the original Strain Index, which is a widely used method for assessing risk of developing hand, wrist, or elbow MSDs.