Plumbing Connection Winter 2022

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Winter 2022 ACROSS THE TRADES 6 9
This emphasises the need for ongoing injury prevention, to
help ensure a physically active lifestyle is able to be maintained.
Further recent research also suggests that activity, work
or sport specific stretching may provide the required injury
prevention to enable ongoing physical activity participation.
Back pain involving either the lower back, neck or
shoulders are amongst the most common musculoskeletal
disorders and affect up to 84% of people across their lifetime.
Whether working in a physically demanding role on your feet,
performing heavy lifting tasks or working solely at a desk
looking at a screen, the accumulative effects require prompt
intervention to ensure prevention of any associated pain.
Studies have demonstrated that stretching before, during
or after work can help prevent work related musculoskeletal
disorders and this gives great cause to include it in our daily
regime. Even those of us who are time poor can be reassured
that a small amount of stretching in time limiting situations
to mere seconds can assist with injury prevention and overall
improvement in pain.
Another component of maintaining physical wellbeing is
achieving good posture which not only improves comfort
levels, but also acts as a scaffold toward injury prevention
and management of existing pain from chronic conditions
or prior injuries. Stretching ensures that range of motion
of the joints and surrounding muscles is optimised prior to
physical activity, therefore potentially increasing the level of
physical performance. Stretching enables increased muscle
compliance and decreased rigidity or stiffness, therefore
decreasing the risk of injury.
Maximising limb functional ability is performed by
consistent stretching and mobility exercises. This approach
ensures that extremity deterioration related to increasing
age and other factors is minimised. It is however important
to note, that any significant changes in physical activity or
for specific injury-based mobility exercises and stretches,
professional guidance should be obtained.
When performing any form of stretching or mobility
exercise, it is essential that consideration is also given
to pre-existing risk factors, comorbidities and age. While
a stretching regime is excellent for helping muscles and
tendons become more compliant in force producing physical
activity, injury is multifactorial and it is important that
people recognise that overuse, fractures or ligament injuries
are sometimes impacted by intrinsic risk factors specific to
certain physical activities or extrinsic risk factors related to
errors and misuse of protective equipment.
Primary and secondary prevention of injury are important in
overall improvement of wellbeing and ensuring a high quality
of life. Evidence recommends stretching or mobility exercises
should be performed at least twice a week for optimal success.
Regular stretching and mobility have far-reaching benefits
beyond the physical aspects of health. With research strongly
indicating minimised fatigue levels, improvement in mental
health, increased overall morale and enhancement of an
employee’s own view of oneself, workplaces may even benefit
from facilitating time throughout the day for staff to get their
stretch in.
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