Work-related musculoskeletal pain among reindeer herding Sami in Sweden--a pilot study on causes and prevention

To investigate the prevalence and to identify causes of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among reindeer herding Sami, and to evaluate the impact on the MSP symptoms elicited by an intervention-prevention programme (IP programme).

A prospective cohort study in which alterations in MSP symptoms were documented over a two-year period.

Data were collected from 51 reindeer herders (26 men, 25 women) before and after a two-year IP programme. Information on MSP characteristics (affected body regions, pain duration and pain intensity) and exposure to a number of physical and psychosocial risk factors were collected as part of comprehensive health examinations. Clinical examinations and interviews complemented self-reported data collected through questionnaires.

MSP symptoms were prevalent, both among women and men. High exposure to physical risk factors, to a large extent related to extensive use of snowmobiles and motorcycles, was the main cause of MSP among men, while psychosocial risk factors were suggested to be more important among women. About one-third of the reindeer herders reported fewer MSP symptoms as a result of the IP programme.

This pilot study suggests that it is possible to reduce the number and the severity of the MSP symptoms among reindeer herders by implementing suitably tailored intervention-prevention measures.