vue - Production Agriculture, Arthritis, and other Musculoskeletal Disorders: Emerging Issues

Dr. Steven Kirkhorn of the National Farm Medicine Center delivers the Keynote Address for the Arthritis, Agriculture and Rural Life Conference, May 11-13, 2011 at Purdue University. The session addresses how the evolving agricultural production technology affects the musculoskeletal system. As agricultural production has changed, new ergonomic stressors have affected different body parts and we now recognize different medical conditions arising from agricultural work. The NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda has recognized this as a major concern. These new diagnoses and conditions require different preventive strategies in order to prevent long term medical conditions and disability. The presentation will provide an overview of ergonomic risk factors in production agriculture and how this can lead to the development of long term arthritis and lead to increased medical and workers' compensation costs. Further discussion is made of preventive measures through engineering technology, medical treatment and work practices.