Mount Sinai - Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Program to Treat and Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Symptoms and Disorders

MSDs happen in all types of work environments, including offices, health care, hotel services, manufacturing and building trades. Types of jobs where MSDs occur are data entry worker, nurses-aides, baggage handler, assembly line worker and truck driver.

The first symptoms of an MSD are usually soreness, tenderness and stiffness, which may come and go. Other symptoms that may develop are pain, warmth, weakness and numbness. MSDs build up over time as tissues experience accumulated strain. The symptoms may become chronic.

Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Disorders

• Symptoms
  • Stiffness
  • Tightness
  • Aching
  • Soreness
  • Burning
  • Pain
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
• Disorders
  • Pinched nerve in the neck (slipped disc)
  • Tension-neck syndrome
  • Shoulder tendonitis
  • Elbow tendonitis
  • Forearm tendonitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Low back strain or sprain

See a doctor if you have discomfort, soreness, pain or other symptoms that last more than a few days or interfere with work or home activities. An occupational physician will help you identify the causes of your symptoms and start you on the road to treatment and prevention. Prompt screening will rule out other diseases that can cause these symptoms. Physicians at the Center are experts in this field. They are board certified in occupational, physical and internal medicine. They have been successfully treating musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders since 1988.