Index

52 RESULTS SSI April 2007

John Miller conducted a Crookback Clinic for The Group in April 2007.

30 participants completed two profiles

■ Mind and Body

■ Musculo-skeletal risk

The results are presented in graphic format, with commentary.

CONTEXT

The health assessment program conducted by Miller Health is based on the premise that the health of key body systems depends on

•      physical fitness

•      diet and

•      an ability to manage the stress of both life and work.

Within the Australian community, there is currently an epidemic of body system dysfunctions which when translated into the workplace are associated with increased absenteeism and workers compensation, and decreased work performance and productivity.

There are very few organisations that are not affected by this epidemic.

THE PROGRAM

The assessments took an holistic look at health, based on the premise that the major systems of the body maintain healthy function when they are supported by 

HEALTH PROFILES

The Mind and Body profile was used as a way of obtaining a snap shot of people’s health, fitness and stress levels. In the workplace it is also a good measure of the risk of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers’ compensation.

People in poor shape experience

•      headaches

•      poor sleep

•      lack of energy and vitality

•      musculo-skeletal dysfunction

•      frequent colds and flu

•      obesity

•      anxiety ...

OH&S risk management

Overall we rated the health of the group as poor.

The aging population

We believe (barring disability) there is nothing stopping anyone of working age from being in exceptionally good physical condition – except lack of training. It's not so much that we have an aging population but a lazy population. We know this is the case because according to the principle of increased dysfunction, people are getting older younger!

Theoretically, as people get older they should be able to maintain a high level of fitness – they’ve had longer to train!

The Governments of Australia base their medical system data on the fact that as people get older they become more dysfunctional. It's a poorly researched premise. What's actually happening is that people are getting older younger! They're unfit and unhealthy. Junk medicine is not contributing to an improvement in community standards of health, on the contrary.

Whilst we can expect people over the age of 70 to start slowing down, it is not necessarily the case for people of working age. As a general rule, poor health and body system dysfunction is not so much related to age as it is to

▪ low levels of physical activity

▪ junk food diets

▪ over-consumption of alcohol

▪ smoking

▪ an inability to handle the normal stresses of life

▪ a job that does not suit their personality, intelligence strengths or interests

▪ an over-reliance on junk medicine - medicine that is pharmaceutically based and which masks

   symptoms without stimulating the body's own recuperative power.

MIND AND BODY PROFILE

The Mind and Body profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

•      the mind

•      autonomic nervous system

•      immune system

•      digestive system

•      circulatory system

•      elimination system

•      musculo-skeletal system.

On this profile, the lower the score the better.

To complete the profile, circle the number appropriate to the degree to which you experience the symptoms on the left hand side of the page. The greater the symptom, the higher the score.

The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20     

Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems.

People with high levels of stress usually score well over 100.

For people with a score of more than 80, the ‘background noise’ of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional.

We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 40. This was not the case with this group. By and large higher scores are usually a reflection of

•      low levels of fitness

•      an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.

Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress. 

This profile is described as poor. The average score was 70. Too many people are putting up with a lot of 'background noise'. From my assessment this is not a very fit and healthy group. The risk of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers' compensation claims is considered high.

SCORES ON EACH ITEM, RANKED - the higher the score the worse the problem

29 people completed the profile. We added the scores for each item. The results appear in the table below.

* Fitness related

If this were a workgroup we would recommend the group focus on dealing with the top 5 items, plus the issues of smoking and depression.

The main driver of body system dysfunction is lack of physical fitness. In the case of musculo-skeletal dysfunction it's a strength and flexibility problem. For the other items marked with a red asterisk it's an aerobic fitness problem.

10% of people smoked, which is half the community average. Nevertheless, we would have expected that, being a group of people in the occupational health field, this score would have been zero. We believe the number of smokers could be reduced with a concerted campaign to assist smokers and their friends and family members to give it up.

There is an epidemic of depression in our community and we encourage all organisations target depression. Two people (6%) were on anti-depressant medication. We believe that anti-depressant medication without a sustained physical activity program, nutrient rich diet and counseling is an inadequate form of treatment.

MIND AND BODY PROFILE

How well people score on the Mind and Body profile provides them with a good indication of how fit and healthy they really are.

I read somewhere that we don't see full blown body system dysfunction until the particular system is 70% dysfunctional. What the Mind and Body profile does is pick up the dysfunctions at an early stage - (you know something's wrong and you feel dreadful but you can't put your finger on the particular system that's causing it. It doesn't matter that you don't know the precise system involved. What you are aware of is that one or more of your systems isn't working at full pitch. The good news is that you can restore function to normal by getting fitter, eating wisely, meditating, getting the job you'd love to do ...) Very few people became fitter and healthier in a doctor's surgery!

Being vigorously physically active on a regular and systematic basis is the most powerful symbol of your ability to give back to your Self. On top of that it protects the body from a wide range of dysfunctions and contributes to an enhancement of the body's own recuperative powers.

There is an epidemic of body system dysfunction in our community and it is certainly not caused by a lack of Panadol, Avpro, Diabex, Lipitor, Ventolin, Milantin, Celebrex, Valium, Zoloft, Viagra or Anusol!

The mind/body relationship

The body is an ecosystem of which the mind is an integral part. Major body systems are frequently negatively affected by stress generated in the mind. The body is incapable of dishonesty!

On the other hand, the mind is effected by the healthy working order of other body systems. Certainly it is affected by physical activity, diet, meditation, acupuncture and a low-toxic environment.

People who are physically fit are less likely to become depressed. They are also more likely to have a strong immune system and an autonomic nervous system that is balanced and healthy in its management of key physiological responses. They are healthy and happy. They have normal blood pressure, they sleep like logs, are about their ideal weighty, rarely, if ever get a headache and don't have a crook back.

As your fitness level improves you can be certain that your score on the Mind and Body profile will also. 

MUSCULO-SKELETAL RISK FACTOR

Our musculo-skeletal risk factor profile looked at a range of parameters including mobility, strength and flexibility and whether people are training to keep themselves strong and flexible.

The musculo-skeletal risk factor profile is comprised of a mix of 9 objective and 3 subjective assessments.

•      Current musculo-skeletal condition

•      Age

•      Closeness to ideal weight

•      Abdominal strength test

•      Upper body strength test

•      Flexibility

•      Functional mobility – the ability to sit down and stand up with ease.

•      Shoulder function

•      Dominant hand grip

•      Non-dominant hand grip

A score of 70% is attainable by those who have a regular and systematic training program.

Those scoring less than 70 are not doing sufficient in the way of strength and flexibility exercises. They are therefore exposing themselves to a high risk of musculo-skeletal dysfunction. (It would be bizarre for a workplace to offer to pay the rehabilitation costs of people who were not keeping themselves strong enough or flexible enough to do their job without succumbing to musculo-skeletal dysfunction, wouldn't it?)

This risk to The Organisation is much higher than the risk we see in other organisations. This is a poor result.

Not a particularly good result. A lot of people are experiencing pain and discomfort. In a corporate setting we'd recommend that those scoring less the 6 need to be required attend a prehab/rehab program, for their own benefit and that of the organisation.		Age may be wearying them and the years condemning.
The people who scored 6 were about 10Kg over weight. Those to the left of them are even heavier; 3 is 25kg over weight and 1 is 35Kg overweight.		This is a poor result. Too many people lack abdominal strength. A score of 7/10 requires an achievement of 17 situps in 30 seconds. Those scoring less than 7 are at risk of dysfunction because their trunk muscles are not strong enough to hold their body in correct alignment - a crook back waiting to happen.
Whilst it is a good result overall, it's patchy and those scoring less than 7 are at risk of shoulder and arm dysfunction.		Too many people have difficulty touching their toes. When calves, hamstrings and buttock muscles tighten up you can be certain that backs, necks, shoulders and wrists will soon start to experience pain. Can't blame the pick and shovel or the mouse and monitor for that!
A good result. When you can't get down and up off the floor 7 times in 30 seconds you've got a mobility problem. Fix it!		Generally speaking shoulder function was patchy. Good for those who scored 7 or more, but not good for those who scored lower. Can't blame the shovel or the keyboard for that.
Its always the case, few people have a regular strength and flexibility program. The group needs to put in train a regular and systematic training program, on site, that includes   1.  specialist prehab and rehab sessions for those at serious risk and those already dysfunctional and on compo   2.  daily 'health huddle' stretch and strengthen sessions in the workplace.
Average score: 58. Not particularly good. This graph show why people are experiencing pain. They are not in particularly good shape. Low levels of strength and flexibility. There is a strong case of the group to implement an obligatory strength and flexibility program for those who scored less than 60 in this profile.

If this were a work organisation we would recommend the organisation take seriously and monitor carefully the incidence of musculo-skeletal dysfunction and put in place an organisation-wide strategy to improve strength, flexibility and mobility. By far and away a high proportion of people do not have a strength and flexibility program. As a result they are getting weaker and tighter by the week, thereby exposing themselves and the organisation to risk.

When push comes to shove and people become dysfunctional, it will be The Organisation that ends up paying the high cost of an avoidable musculo-skeletal complaint. Click here to read the article from injury to dysfunction. Click here to read about swifties and fallacies.

In our opinion musculo-skeletal dysfunction caused by lack of a regular and systematic strength and flexibility program cannot be classified as an injury. Responsibility for musculo-skeletal dysfunction needs to be sheeted home to individual employees, though it’s unlikely to happen without the establishment of a culture within the organisation that supports, values and understands strength and flexibility.

We recommend a range of strength and flexibility classes that are readily available Australia-wide: -

The Group  would place itself in the forefront of OH&S practice if it took the musculo-skeletal risk seriously and moved heaven and earth to educate all staff about this risk and encourage them to take part in a regular strength and flexibility program. Maybe The Organisation and its worker's compensation insurer could invest in a pilot program to increase staff strength and flexibility!

Whilst we rate the score as 'poor', the lack of strength and flexibility training and the results of the people who already report being dysfunctional, together with those who scored poorly in abdominal strength, upper body strength and flexibility is a cause for concern and needs the attention of individual staff and managers. 

RECOMMENDATION

We strongly recommend that the people who are in current poor musculo-skeletal condition, and who lack abdominal strength, upper body strength, flexibility, shoulder function and functional mobility, in particular those who scored less than 60 on the profile, be obligated to attend regular, in-house strength and flexibility classes.

The pressure on the organisation's workers' compensation costs is such that to do otherwise would, in our opinion be to abrogate a responsibility for the prudent management of the organisation's finances.

See the generic list of recommendations.