Crew Health Advice: Supporting crew suffering from Back Pain
Herniated discs, strains, sprains, inflammation, stiffness and tenderness are just some of the back pain symptoms reported to the UK Club due to heavy lifting and day to day shipboard activities.
Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and is a common health problem experienced in the maritime workplace. Prolonged sitting, lifting a heavy load, incorrect posture and muscle imbalance are just some of the causes.
With the recent innovations in technology many people find themselves spending all day in front of the computer. When it’s time to rest often they are doing the same thing in front of the TV or computer screen. Over time you may feel an ache in your back or neck with the pain lasting for several days or even longer.
Prolonged sitting is proven to be bad for your health. The sedentary lifestyle is associated with various health hazards such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Research has shown that two thirds of us experience a mental health problem in our lifetimes, and stress is a key factor in this. Monday 14th May marks the start of 'Mental Health Awareness' Week, which this year is focusing on stress and how to manage it in order to improve our mental health.
Resilience is about bouncing back from stressful situations and recovering quickly from difficulties. It is overcoming problems through the use of different techniques.
This guidance may help with identifying the injuries that the second officer sustained and what can be done onboard to help whilst awaiting further assistance.
