Pain from work: musculoskeletal disorders in Europe

The figures

In a 2019 report, EU-OSHA says musculoskeletal disorders remain the most common work-related health problem in the EU. In 2015, 58% of workers reported such complaints:

• 43% backache
• 41% pain in the shoulders, neck or arms
• 29% pain in the hips, legs or knees

One in five people in the EU had a chronic back or neck problem in the past year. 53% of workers with these disorders had time off work in the past year, compared with 32% of workers with no health problem.

Where they come from

Most build up slowly from a mix of factors: physical load such as lifting and repetitive movements, how work is organised and stress, plus individual factors.

What employers should do

EU-OSHA recommends:

• Assessing the risks and prioritising the measures
• Removing the risk where possible and adapting the work to the worker
• Involving workers in the solutions
• Information and training
• Good layout and equipment, breaks and task rotation

EU-OSHA's Healthy Workplaces Lighten the Load campaign (2020-22) ran in every EU Member State, covering topics such as sedentary work, telework and chronic conditions.

What you can do

Do not let the pain become long-term. If your job causes pain that keeps coming back, a physiotherapist can find what is causing it, give you exercises and suggest changes to how you work.