People often think of 'epidemics' in terms of illnesses. Something in the air or the water or any source of germs or other microorganisms that make a lot of people sick with fever, nausea, aches, chills and the like. A flu epidemic, for instance.

How about an 'epidemic' of work injuries? That's what a specialist in musculoskeletal conditions calls the current flare-up of injuries suffered at work.

'Musculoskeletal conditions have reached epidemic proportions, costing the U.S. $254 billion annually,' says Dr. Richard Gelberman of St. Louis, president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

A U.S. Department of Labor report puts the total of such bone, muscle and other connective tissue injuries at 582,000--one third of all work injuries. The causes are due to repetitive motions or sprains or strains.

These injuries affect one out of every seven working people.

And these are not just scrapes and bruises--the everyday bumps on the job you can take care of with a trip to the first aid kit or the company nurse. These half-a-million-plus workplace injuries are serious enough to require time off from work.

This is intolerable. The toll in pain, in lost time, in lost wages and productivity is unacceptable, especially because many of these injuries can be prevented. That's the key to halting and turning around this costly and painful situation.

Here are some tips from the safety experts:

• Learn how to lift properly--with your legs, not your back or arms.
• When sitting at your desk, keep your back in a normal, slightly arched position. Make sure your chair supports your lower back. Don't slouch. Keep your head and shoulders erect. Make sure your working surface is at the proper height so you don't have to lean forward.
• Practice ladder safety. When using a ladder, avoid over-reaching or leaning too far to one side. That could throw you off balance. Falls from ladders can produce serious injuries.
• Be sure to wear shoes that conform to the natural shape of your feet. More than 43 million Americans--one in every six persons--have trouble with their feet, mostly from wearing shoes that don't fit. And sore feet are just part of the problem. Footing the bill costs $3.5 billion a year.
• Eliminate tripping hazards at work. Install handrails and grab bars and other safety devices where necessary.

Among occupational injuries/illnesses, carpal tunnel syndrome and fractures head the list for most lost workdays.

Wrist injuries kept employees from work a median of 12 days. Knee and shoulder injuries accounted for a median loss of 10 days per worker. Approximately 3.6 million workers lost an average of nine days because of back sprains.

Copyright 2001 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker/Press Associates news service.