The working world has become more stressed, and that is taking a toll on the health of Canadians. In the current recession, employees might be worried about job security and salary reductions or be expected to work longer hours or be accessible and connected to their jobs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Now more than ever, it is important for companies to invest in wellness strategies to help support the health of their employees. Without a healthy team, companies will face higher bottom line costs and reduced employee health.
Companies can choose to support wellness initiatives in a wide variety of ways depending on the company budget and employee concerns and interests.
Hire a traveling massage therapist to provide on-site neck/shoulder massages to reduce tension.
Provide partial or full support for gym memberships.
Respect your employees’ lunch hours by not hosting meetings so that they can ensure they have time to take care of their personal health.
Register in a corporate fitness challenge or walk/run event.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/01/f-weeklycheckup-holwegner.html#ixzz1B90DwOYu
Repetitive motion injuries, which have long afflicted desktop and laptop computer users, are invading the mobile handheld world.
Earlier this year, a consumer alert was released warning users of small electronic gadgets that heavy thumb use could lead to painful swelling of the sheath around the tendons in the thumb.
The BlackBerry, which debuted in 1999, employs a full QWERTY keypad for thumb typing to automatically send and receive e-mail. About 2.5 million people currently use Blackberries, more than double from a year ago.
Musculoskeletal disorders, which include repetitive strain injuries, accounted for a third of all workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2003.
Treatment for BlackBerry thumb may include receiving massage therapy treatments to relax the overworked muscles. Wearing a splint and applying ice to the affected area is an option as well. If the pain persists, doctors may opt to inject the thumb area with a cortisone shot.
Massage therapy safely helps to relieve short-term pain in patients with advanced cancer, a trial suggests.
In Tuesday’s issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers looked at pain and mood scores among 340 people with late stage cancer.
Participants were randomly assigned to have massage therapy by a registered massage therapist, or simple touch by someone who placed both hands on the subjects for three minutes at 10 body sites.
“This study is important because it shows massage is a safe and effective way to provide immediate relief to patients with advanced cancer.”
It’s thought that massage may help improve pain and mood through psychological effects of the therapist’s attention, as well as physical or biological effects, such as decreasing inflammation, increasing circulation and release of mood-boosting endorphins.
One in three Canadians suffers from chronic pain, which can lead to depression, relationship problems and workplace issues, suggests a new poll.
The SES Research survey found that 16 per cent of those surveyed report living in constant pain, and 20 per cent experience pain on a daily basis.
“Pain is clearly having an enormous impact upon the lives of Canadians,” said Nikita Nanos, president of SES Research, in a release. ” A full third of individuals with moderate to severe pain said that they had lost their job as a result of it and half said that they had seen a reduction in income.”
