Tradies Health Month is happening this August to raise awareness of the health and injury risks affecting our hard-working Australian tradies.
Tradies make up only 30% of the Australian workforce, yet almost 60% of tradies are involved in serious workplace injuries.
For tradies and employers, it’s important to recognise the risks associated with trade occupations to help change the behaviour and better support the health of our tradies at work.
Tips towards better health
As with many things in life, preventative treatment is as important as the solution.
With the physical nature of trade occupation jobs, tradies are extremely reliant on their bodies, this is one reason they are presented with a number of injuries.
Simple habits to your workday can reduce the chance of injury and help maintain a healthy body:
- Warm-up before starting work with stretches and exercises to get the body ready
- Don’t be a hero – pace yourself and team up
- Use the RICE principle to manage niggles
- Act quickly on injuries to prevent further damage
How physiotherapy can help
Experiencing persistent aches and pains is a sign that your body is starting to fatigue, it can affect your performance at work and general well-being.
In this situation, it’s important to seek a healthcare professional.
Physiotherapy is an effective treatment solution that assesses the underlying cause of your joint, muscle or nerve tissue, and uses a combination of therapeutic exercises and manual therapy to treat symptoms.
Common symptoms such as back pain, shoulder and knee injuries are common amongst tradesman, the lifting and repetitive bending can all be a factor in contributing to these injuries.
Prevention
Injuries and niggles will eventually catch up on you, it’s crucial that once an injury is presented that you take a step back and don’t push through with injuries, seek advice from a physio on how best to manage your condition.
It will keep you performing for longer and you’ll thank yourself later in life.
Physiotherapists can provide programs to improve your strength and provide advice on workplace ergonomics and lifting techniques to reduce the chance of an injury occurring.
Treatment
If you are experiencing an injury such as a ligament tear our physiotherapists are highly trained to assess and diagnose your condition, then plan and administer treatment programs to restore your movement and improve your function to the highest possible level.
Tradies Health Month isn’t just about raising awareness to best manage workplace injuries, ultimately it’s around reducing the chance of sustaining an injury and keeping Australian tradies healthy and safe.