OSHA Standard: General Duty Clause 5(a)(1)
The following table outlines occupational risk factors and symptoms of the most common disorders of the upper body associated with WMSDs.
| Disorders | Occupational risk factors | Symptoms |
| Tendonitis/tenosynovitis | Repetitive wrist motions Repetitive shoulder motions Sustained hyper extension of arms Prolonged load on shoulders | Pain, weakness, swelling, burning sensation or dull ache over affected area |
| Epicondylitis (elbow tendonitis) | Repeated or forceful rotation of the forearm and bending of the wrist at the same time | Same symptoms as tendonitis |
| Carpal tunnel syndrome | Repetitive wrist motions | Pain, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, wasting of muscles at base of thumb, dry palm |
| DeQuervain’s disease | Repetitive hand twisting and forceful gripping | Pain at the base of thumb |
| Thoracic outlet syndrome | Prolonged shoulder flexion Extending arms above shoulder height Carrying loads on the shoulder | Pain, numbness, swelling of the hands |
| Tension neck syndrome | Prolonged restricted posture | Pain |
The treatment of MSDs involves several approaches including the following:
- Restriction of movement
- Application of heat or cold
- Exercise
- Medication and surgery if allowed to persist over time
The main effort to protect yourself from WMSDs should focus on avoiding prolonged periods of repetitive patterns of work through task rotation. Early recognition of these disorders is very important to prevent injuries from becoming longstanding. Preventive and control measures, in order to be truly effective, require continuous involvement on the part of the workers and management in their work activities.