A recently released Western co-authored study is providing an eye-opening look into how physical pain and discomfort have become a way of life for many firefighters across the country.
According to the study, the longer a firefighter’s career the greater the chances of suffering from persistent neck, back and limb pain. Further, 70 per cent of all active firefighters studied said they had experienced at least some pain in their arms, legs and back during a 13-month span.
“They call themselves the ‘working wounded’ sometimes because they’re well aware they’re suffering musculoskeletal issues,” said Joy MacDermid, a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor affiliated with the Bone and Joint Institute.
Co-authored through the McMaster School of Rehabilitation Science, Prevalence and distribution of musculoskeletal disorders in firefighters are influenced by age and length of service was published in a recent edition of the Journal of Military, Veteran and Public Health. Exploring injuries among working Hamilton, Ont., firefighters, the research is the first paper to quantify – by age, sex and length of service – who is most prone to suffering musculoskeletal injury, and where and how intense that pain is.
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Image via Western University.