Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and reported injuries for nurses and nursing aides. Background: Nurses and nursing aides suffer from work-related pain and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Although there have been a plethora of studies on MSDs, an overall understanding of the prevalence of MSDs and pain can lead to better prioritization of research needs with respect to the health care industry. Method: A total of 132 articles on prevalence of MSD pain and injuries were included in the review. All articles were published in peer-reviewed English-speaking journals and subjected to a quality review. Results: Reported prevalence of MSD pain for nurses and nursing aides was highest in the low back, followed by shoulders and neck. However, the majority of the studies have been concentrated on 12-month pain in the low back and predominantly in hospitals. Few researchers have investigated pain in the upper and lower extremities (less than 27% of the studies). Even fewer researchers have evaluated reported injuries or even subjective lost-time injuries (less than 15% of the studies). Conclusion: MSD pain in the nursing profession has been widely investigated worldwide, with a major focus on low-back pain. Given new directions in health care, such as patients who live longer with more chronic diseases, bariatric patients, early mobility requirements, and those who want to be at home during sickness, higher prevalence levels may shift to different populations—home health care workers, long-term care workers, and physical therapists—as well as shift to different body regions, such as shoulders and upper extremities.

Millions of workers have been uprooted by COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and been thrown into a “new normal” of working from home offices. To further complicate things, many individuals were provided with only a laptop and little, if any, education on setting up an ergonomically correct workstation. As a result, many home office–based workers potentially face suboptimal working conditions. Based on 41 home office ergonomic evaluations, most ergonomic concerns related to laptop usage, nonadjustable chairs without armrests, low monitor heights, and hard desk surfaces. If home-based office work continues, people need to understand the ramifications of poor workstation.

With expected changes in age demographics many industry sectors may see their workforce significantly increase in age. The impact of claims and costs associated with musculoskeletal disorders in these industries may also change accordingly. To determine the age-related trends in musculoskeletal disorders, including claims and costs, in different industrial sectors in the state of Ohio, USA. Worker’s compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders in the state of Ohio between 1999 and 2004 were analysed in respect of age, industry sector, body region, and impact on cost and medical care (percentage of claims associated with surgery and number of procedures costing in excess of US$600). More than 570000 claims were analysed. Patterns of cost and disability among the majority of body regions demonstrated an increasing trend until 55 years of age, decreasing in older age groups. However, many industries demonstrated a continued increasing trend in costs with age. Shoulder and lumbar spine disorders showed unique industry-specific trends for older age groups as compared to the bell-shaped relationships for other body regions. Ageing appeared to have a role in the frequency and costs of musculoskeletal disorder claims in this study. However, industry-specific trends in the data suggest that job-specific risk factors may also play a role. The impact of age alone on the cost of musculoskeletal disorders cannot be determined because age is confounded by numerous lifestyle and work-related factors not identifiable in this study.

Objective: This review aimed to evaluate all studies that have evaluated the biomechanical effects when using assistive devices. Introduction: The physical demands of patient handling activities are well known. One safety strategy for the reduction of the physical risks is use of assistive devices. Method: The search process identified articles published in English-speaking journals through Google Scholar, Medline, and ISI Web of Science. The included 56 studies contained a biomechanical assessment of a patient handling activity with assistive devices. Results: The biomechanical effects included four groups: changes in body posture (spinal, other joints), subjective assessment (force, effort, discomfort), measured force (hand force, ground reaction force, spine force, joint torque), and physiological measures. The evidence showed caregivers benefited from using lift hoists, air-assisted devices, and to a lesser extent friction reducing devices for lateral transfers and repositioning, while floor and ceiling lifts were most effective for patient transfers. Some gaps were noted in the evidence and other handling tasks such as sit-to-stand, turning patient in bed, limb lifting, and repositioning and some more high hazard activities like supporting people with limited balance and those that fall need to be investigated with respect to biomechanical outcomes. Conclusion: There is a growing level of biomechanical evidence to support the use of assistive devices for many patient-handling tasks, but the benefits of equipment use in some transfers remain uninvestigated. Practical Application: Evidence indicates the best way to lift patients safely is with floor or ceiling lifts, and air-assisted devices for lateral and repositioning tasks.