Anita Verigin, an RMT operating out of Newmarket, Ontario, is helping corporate offices in York Region reduce their WSIB incident rates by teaching employees massage techniques to prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries. Verigin hopes that by educating employees who engage in repetitive tasks more then four hours a day she can assist in reducing WSIB rates and injury related leave.
While most Newmarket employers focus on preventing sudden office and workplace accidents, repetitive and long-term injuries are more common and can have the same impact on their WSIB incident rates and rebates. These injuries come in many forms such as Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMIs), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Bursitis, Tendonitis, Trigger finger, and Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs).
Verigin's Corporate Wellness Initiative offers Newmarket employers educational seminars and live demonstrations to provide employees with prevention and recovery strategies. Work-related Repetitive Strain Injuries are among the most common ways workers are injured. These injuries happen because of the constant use and wear and tear on muscle and joint groups.
“Understanding how these injuries occur can help employees decide to take steps to prevent them,” says Verigin. “Awkward body posture, such as bending, twisting, stooping, and reaching above shoulder level or behind the body, and other repetitive movements are especially hazardous when they involve the same joints and muscle groups over and over, and when we do the same motion too often, too quickly and for too long. For smaller companies, lost time and lower productivity is just not an option.”
Verigin’s Interactive Prevention Seminars focus on how employees can adjust their workstations, pay attention to their body’s signals and work safely. Her goal is to help companies create a more comprehensive Health & Safety Program that benefits all employees. Because most employees do not recognize bad work habits, live demonstrations emphasizing the importance of varying body positions, stretching muscles, and using regular massage techniques are most effective.
Often, Massage Therapy is covered by Employee Health Benefits, but most employees do not make use of massage therapy. Regular visits to a Registered Massage Therapist can lower blood pressure, provide relief from and reduction in the frequency of stress-induced headaches, and provide muscle relaxation. Deep tissue massage can aid in the treatment of Depression and anxiety, Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Insomnia, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as other conditions.
For more information about Repetitive Strain Injuries, or Anita Verigin’s, Massage Therapy Corporate Wellness Initiative, visit her website at http://www.AnitaVerigin.com.
