A Sign of the Times: Health Trends and Ethics

OSU, Wes Watkins Conference Center, Stillwater, OK

May 23, 2014

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Title of Presentation: Evidence-based Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Aging Workforce

PRESENTER: Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, CPH

DESCRIPTION:Older workers will increasingly constitute a greater proportion of the available U.S. workforce. While age is not an independent risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), older workers remain more susceptible to work-related MSDs than younger workers due to decreased functional capacity. An update from the scientific literature about the effect of evidence-based workplace ergonomic interventions for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders among older workers will be discussed.

Session participants will be able to (a) Define Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs); (b) Describe how individuals become more susceptible to MSD in the workplace as they age; (c) Identify workplace factors contributing to musculoskeletal disorders; (d) Describe strategies to reduce musculoskeletal disorders among older workers; (e) Describe strategies to prevent musculoskeletal disorders among older workers.

Title of Presentation:Leveraging the Total Worker: Health Framework for an Aging Work Force

PRESENTER: Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, CPH

DESCRIPTION:The U.S. workforce of the twenty-first century is aging, with increasingly larger proportions of the labor force being 55 years of age and older. Many older workers are staying in the workforce longer than they had anticipated because of personal preference or out of necessity. Tools to assist employers in building “culture of health” and “age-friendly” workplaces are available.

Session participants will be able to examine issues related to the aging workforce, including barriers to integrating health protection and promotion programs, and provide recommendations for best practices to maximize contributions by aging workers. They also will learn of new approaches to workplace and organizational structures where workplaces can help maximize opportunities for older workers.

A Sign of the Times: Health Trends and Ethics

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Title of Presentation:Know Your Enemy: Aging and Arthritis

PRESENTER: William M. Schnitz, MD

DESCRIPTION:The presence of joint pain and degenerative arthritis is nearly universal as we age.The treatments, whether prescribed by a health professional or undertaken by the average older person, are commonplace but, if you delve a little deeper, not really straightforward.

During this presentation participants will:(a) Learn about the latest thinking on NSAID drugs,(b) Familiarize yourself with treatment guidelines recommended by the American College of Rheumatology,(d) Review expected changes of the musculoskeletal system as you age and how to minimize the negative effects of aging,(d) Learn the most common types of arthritis diseases in the elderly and how to manage them, as well as, how to recognize some conditions that occur exclusively in the elderly.