Body pain and discomfort related to musculoskeletal disorder in nursing care

M. Fernanda Hernández-Nazario, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Kelly D. Carmona-Vázquez, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Lilian A. Álvarez-Robles, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
M. Carmen Tovar-Moncada, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México; Centro Universitario Valle de Chalco, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Valle de Chalco, Estado de México. México
Jesús Pavón-López, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
José A. Enciso-Olalde, Departamento de Investigación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders can trigger some temporary or permanent disability, and that can be caused by ergonomic, anthropometric, work, medical diagnoses, or sociodemographic factors. Low back pain and neck pain are the most common musculoskeletal disorders in various countries around the world, including Mexico, having labor, physical, social and economic consequences, such as increased absenteeism and medical assistance, causing a decrease in productivity and increasing expenses related to the health of workers. Objective: Identify the presence and location of pain, fatigue and body discomfort that are related to musculoskeletal disorders present in nursing generation personnel by care function. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental study with a quantitative approach, non-probabilistic convenience sampling and a sample of 50 nursing professionals working in a specialty hospital. The instrument was the Kuorinka Nordic Questionnaire extracted from the Official Mexican Standard NOM-036-1-STPS-2018, with 11 items and a scheme that indicates areas of the body, presenting a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.863. Results: The presence of body discomfort is in people who may or may not be overweight, the most common areas being the neck, lumbar back, hand/wrist, knees and feet, having a time of less than 2 years without preventing them from carrying out their activities in the work, because despite giving a rating of 3 to his discomforts, he will not receive any medical treatment. Conclusions: Some factors attributing to the aforementioned discomforts are stress, posture, work overload and standing, being the most common. Although 82% responded that they do not suffer from any musculoskeletal medical history, some responses were found that consider genetic medical diagnoses, scoliosis and osteoarthritis, being able to interpret that they may not have an underlying diagnosis but may suffer from some unmentioned musculoskeletal disorder.

Keywords: Musculoskeletal system. Nursing staff. Signs and symptoms.