- Email: [email protected]
Physiotherapy and Occupational Health Day November 18, 1992
Physiotherapy and Occupational Health Day November 18, 1992 This was much quieter than previous National Physiotherapy Days in terms of publicity in local newspapers, but an undoubted success wi .\ the national media. They found our new leaflet on repetitive strain injur. produced with the Nationwide Physiotherapy Service, of particular Interest especially the claim that RSI is now one of the most common causes of occupation-related time off work.
-
On November 17 in his ‘Doc Spot’ on TV AM Dr Hilary Jones talked about the forthcoming Occupational Health Day and showed a copy of the RSI leaflet, giving the Society’s name and address for viewers who wanted a copy of the leaflet. And in the Daily Mail, health correspondent Jenny Hope highlightedthe leaflet in her column. ‘Sufferers of RSI believe it is a new disorder’, she said. ‘Not so, it goes back at least three hundred years. . . .’ Listeners to Radio Four’s ‘Medicine Now’ and ‘You and Yours’ would also be able to find out more about RSI by tuning in that week. Wendy Chalmers Mill, who helped us with the RSI leaflet, spoke on both programmes about its treatment and prevention. By November 18 the story had definitely caught on and Sarah Barclay from BBC News interviewed Wendy and a small news item on RSI appeared on Breakfast News, the Lunch Time and Six O’clock News. The piece highlighted the particular risk to computer users and the problems of stressrelated spinal injuries.
CSP Leaflet
people and gave as short case history of a patient with a work-related injury. In Glasgow the Daily Record marked the day by printing a short article giving readers advice on how best to prevent injury whilst using the telephone. ‘Relaxing over a hot telephone’ was the title of an article in the Bath Evening Chronicle. The telephone has a lot to answer for, said the article. It was based on the Society’s ‘Phonewise’ leaflet which was sent to journalists as part of our occupational health day pack. This also included the new physiotherapy and occupational health leaflet, ‘Keep Fit For Work’, ‘Physiotherapy and RSI’ and ‘Physiotherapy and Back Pain’ leaflets. The Evening News in Edinburgh also gave the day a mention, explaining the value of a physiotherapist as part of the occupational team. Fiona Duffy from Northern Ireland had a different, but equally effective, approach to publicising the day. She wrote to the Carrick and East Antrim Times asking readers ‘Does work have to be a pain in the neck?’ Fiona then announced the forthcoming day and said that physiotherapists could help people avoid a large
In the following weeks a small piece appeared in Doctor magazineand a larger article appeared in Mims which goes out to GPs, giving some simple rules to remember when at work. The information to help prevent RSI was based on the advice in the CSP leaflet. Needless to say, following all this national publicity, we have been inundated with requests for copies of the leaflet, from both individuals and companies alike. We have also had subsequent requests for further information from journalists of specialist magazines who have picked up the story from national publicity. So we hope to see some more excellent articles on the subject over the next couple of months.
Self-help Group Sittingbourne physiotherapist Patricia Bartley featured in her local newspaper the Sheerness Times and Guardian. She also pointed out that RSI has been around a long time but that it is seen more frequently now because of the changes in technology, and said that employers are still not doing enough to help the problem. Mrs Bartley is looking to set up a self-help group for RSI sufferers in her part of the country. Physiotherapists at the Royal Oldham Hospital are ‘keeping the town on the move’ according to the Evening Chronicle (see photograph) which printed a half-page article on the subject. The article looked at their work with both young and old
Physiotherapy, January 1993, vol79, no 1
number of the aches ar pains they experience in their workinr ’ves. In the Dungannon News and 7jh e Courier physiotherapistMary Shields told readers how chartered physiotherapists could help with various work-related conditions such as back and neck pain and stress related conditions. And the Irish News printed an article on its health page on ‘How to prevent the aches and pains of working carelessly’.
Safety at Work The new EC directives on the manual handling of loads, which came into force on January 1, 1993, was the tack Hedydd Spencer chose to explain physiotherapists’ work in occupational health. She said: ‘Statistics have shown that the incidence of musculoskeletalinjury at work is on the increase’, and spoke about the work she has been doing in this area. Jane Hay from Swindon also spoke about the new directives in the Swindon Evening Advertiser. She said they would cut down on the increasing number of people being treated for problems linked to the use of VDUs. Ruth Cowan, a member from Rugby, lent her support to a safety at work display organised by Mid-Warwickshire College in Leamington. She said in the Evening Telegraphthat more people than ever were suffering from repetitive strain injury connected with hi-tech work stations. Hereford physiotherapists are helping to spread the message about their work in occupational health according to the Hereford Times. A news piece on November 19 said that physiotherapistsin the area were delivering leafletsto as many local businesses as possible to mark the Physiotherapy and Occupational Health Day. No doubt many more people did their bit to mark the day but just did not get the publicity they deserved. But well done to all those who made an effort to generate publicity.
The Future
Senior physiotherapistAvis Gilmore, Royal Oldham Hospital, working with patient Derek Anthony to stretch his foot tendons following an industrial accident
We must now start work on this year, the European Year of Older People and of Solidarity between the Generations. The National PhysiotherapyDay to highlight this area of chartered physiotherapists’ work will be on May 19. And in early September there will be a day to look at Physiotherapy and Women’s Health.
Lynn Duxbury BA
CSP Public Relations Officer
-
On November 17 in his ‘Doc Spot’ on TV AM Dr Hilary Jones talked about the forthcoming Occupational Health Day and showed a copy of the RSI leaflet, giving the Society’s name and address for viewers who wanted a copy of the leaflet. And in the Daily Mail, health correspondent Jenny Hope highlightedthe leaflet in her column. ‘Sufferers of RSI believe it is a new disorder’, she said. ‘Not so, it goes back at least three hundred years. . . .’ Listeners to Radio Four’s ‘Medicine Now’ and ‘You and Yours’ would also be able to find out more about RSI by tuning in that week. Wendy Chalmers Mill, who helped us with the RSI leaflet, spoke on both programmes about its treatment and prevention. By November 18 the story had definitely caught on and Sarah Barclay from BBC News interviewed Wendy and a small news item on RSI appeared on Breakfast News, the Lunch Time and Six O’clock News. The piece highlighted the particular risk to computer users and the problems of stressrelated spinal injuries.
CSP Leaflet
people and gave as short case history of a patient with a work-related injury. In Glasgow the Daily Record marked the day by printing a short article giving readers advice on how best to prevent injury whilst using the telephone. ‘Relaxing over a hot telephone’ was the title of an article in the Bath Evening Chronicle. The telephone has a lot to answer for, said the article. It was based on the Society’s ‘Phonewise’ leaflet which was sent to journalists as part of our occupational health day pack. This also included the new physiotherapy and occupational health leaflet, ‘Keep Fit For Work’, ‘Physiotherapy and RSI’ and ‘Physiotherapy and Back Pain’ leaflets. The Evening News in Edinburgh also gave the day a mention, explaining the value of a physiotherapist as part of the occupational team. Fiona Duffy from Northern Ireland had a different, but equally effective, approach to publicising the day. She wrote to the Carrick and East Antrim Times asking readers ‘Does work have to be a pain in the neck?’ Fiona then announced the forthcoming day and said that physiotherapists could help people avoid a large
In the following weeks a small piece appeared in Doctor magazineand a larger article appeared in Mims which goes out to GPs, giving some simple rules to remember when at work. The information to help prevent RSI was based on the advice in the CSP leaflet. Needless to say, following all this national publicity, we have been inundated with requests for copies of the leaflet, from both individuals and companies alike. We have also had subsequent requests for further information from journalists of specialist magazines who have picked up the story from national publicity. So we hope to see some more excellent articles on the subject over the next couple of months.
Self-help Group Sittingbourne physiotherapist Patricia Bartley featured in her local newspaper the Sheerness Times and Guardian. She also pointed out that RSI has been around a long time but that it is seen more frequently now because of the changes in technology, and said that employers are still not doing enough to help the problem. Mrs Bartley is looking to set up a self-help group for RSI sufferers in her part of the country. Physiotherapists at the Royal Oldham Hospital are ‘keeping the town on the move’ according to the Evening Chronicle (see photograph) which printed a half-page article on the subject. The article looked at their work with both young and old
Physiotherapy, January 1993, vol79, no 1
number of the aches ar pains they experience in their workinr ’ves. In the Dungannon News and 7jh e Courier physiotherapistMary Shields told readers how chartered physiotherapists could help with various work-related conditions such as back and neck pain and stress related conditions. And the Irish News printed an article on its health page on ‘How to prevent the aches and pains of working carelessly’.
Safety at Work The new EC directives on the manual handling of loads, which came into force on January 1, 1993, was the tack Hedydd Spencer chose to explain physiotherapists’ work in occupational health. She said: ‘Statistics have shown that the incidence of musculoskeletalinjury at work is on the increase’, and spoke about the work she has been doing in this area. Jane Hay from Swindon also spoke about the new directives in the Swindon Evening Advertiser. She said they would cut down on the increasing number of people being treated for problems linked to the use of VDUs. Ruth Cowan, a member from Rugby, lent her support to a safety at work display organised by Mid-Warwickshire College in Leamington. She said in the Evening Telegraphthat more people than ever were suffering from repetitive strain injury connected with hi-tech work stations. Hereford physiotherapists are helping to spread the message about their work in occupational health according to the Hereford Times. A news piece on November 19 said that physiotherapistsin the area were delivering leafletsto as many local businesses as possible to mark the Physiotherapy and Occupational Health Day. No doubt many more people did their bit to mark the day but just did not get the publicity they deserved. But well done to all those who made an effort to generate publicity.
The Future
Senior physiotherapistAvis Gilmore, Royal Oldham Hospital, working with patient Derek Anthony to stretch his foot tendons following an industrial accident
We must now start work on this year, the European Year of Older People and of Solidarity between the Generations. The National PhysiotherapyDay to highlight this area of chartered physiotherapists’ work will be on May 19. And in early September there will be a day to look at Physiotherapy and Women’s Health.
Lynn Duxbury BA
CSP Public Relations Officer