Coexistence of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper body of labor origin

Resumen

The coexistence of musculoskeletal disorders is common in work activities around the world, however, information on the subject is insufficient both in Latin America and in Colombia despite its impact at the economic and social level. The objective of this research was to determine the coexistence of musculoskeletal disorders of work origin in the upper body in the working population that attends a Service Provider Institution (IPS). An observational, descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional design study was conducted between the first of March in 2017 and the first of March in 2018. Four semiological tests were applied for physiotherapists to seek the coexistence of carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and cervical myofascial syndrome. Among the results, it was found that 92.6% (n=138) of the patients had two or more pathologies, 59.73% (n=89) had the rotator cuff and the myofascial syndrome, 52.35% (n=78) had epicondylitis and myofascial syndrome, and 37.58% (n=56) had carpal tunnel syndrome and lateral epicondylitis. This study highlights the high coexistence of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper body, especially in the female gender.