Stories of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Narratives of Information Technology Professionals

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in computer users have multi-faceted etiology. Using narrative analysis, this study explores the strategies that information technology (IT) professionals employ to mitigate the effect of risk factors of MSD in their workplace.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 IT professionals from a state organization in the United States. The findings are summarized through participant profiles. Elements in the narratives were emphasized that show how the participants linked events and experiences related to their work and MSD.

Participant stories are grouped based on themes using rich descriptions that communicate their approach for possible solutions to prevent MSD in the workplace. Themes are individual risk factors for MSD, proactive approaches like individual awareness of posture and behavior while working, workstation design, and mitigating strategies.

IT professionals employ several strategies to mitigate the effect of risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to computer use in their workplace that need to be communicated to the management.

Individual stories have highlighted that the participants were self-directed in identifying and exploring mitigating strategies related to work-related MSD. Communication is an important aspect of workplace safety wherein the expertise of the occupational health professionals plays a crucial role. Stories in this study may resonate with other stories of pain and discomfort due to MSD and have implications for organizations and provide us with explicit examples from the manager perspective.