Work-related muscular-skeletal disorder among UK sonographers: understanding the challenges

Work-Related Muscular-Skeletal Disorders (henceforth WRMSDs) are a set of conditions characterised by persistent pain in the muscles, joints, bones, nerves, and/or tendons. Typically caused and exacerbated by repetitive action and/or overexertion, they have been a noted problem in the general UK workforce for a significant period. In 2019/2020, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (henceforth HSE) estimated that around 480 000 workers were suffering from a new or long-standing WRMSD, at a prevalence of 1420 cases per 100 000 workers. Although there has been a slight downward trend in incidence over the last two decades, the latest HSE statistics indicate that around 9 million working days are still being lost per annum due to this problem, which amounts to 27% of all health-related absence. Across healthcare-related professions in the UK, the rates of incidence of WRSMD currently track at above the national average, with 1680 cases per 100 000 workers. While there are no fully contemporary figures available relating specifically to WRMSD in the ultrasound workforce, there is strong evidence to suspect that the problem is at least as prevalent as that in wider healthcare, and very probably more so. In this article, this matter is explored in greater depth.