Ergonomic considerations in work-related upper extremity disorders.

Correctly applied, an ergonomics approach can reduce the likelihood of work-induced disorders and can assist in accommodating individuals who have work-related disorders, but it cannot eliminate disorders that have been mistakenly attributed to work by social processes. A contextual model of work-related upper extremity disorders is proposed that explicitly acknowledges that factors extrinsic to work can shape perceptions of upper extremity disorders and influence the process of somatic interpretation and health outcomes. Experiences in the United Kingdom of ergonomic regulations associated with computer use and the media coverage of work-related upper extremity disorders are used to illustrate this model.