Preventing Shoulder Injury for Loggers

By Brie Weisman, OTR/L, Maine AgrAbility. Spring 2024

Coordinator for Maine AgrAbility, Bella Russo, and I had the pleasure of conducting a workshop at this year’s (2024) annual PLC Spring Safety Training. We were asked to cover shoulder injuries, a common problem in the industry. For workers, a shoulder injury means pain and temporary disability and sometimes even permanent injury, as sufferers often will not recover full range of motion and strength after a serious tear. For business owners, they can result in sizable health and compensation costs and time down. One employer who asked for this workshop said that an employee’s shoulder injury had increased his already high worker’s comp rate, and health and compensation costs are threatening to put him out of business. 

Workers’ health, always a common sense personal responsibility and business expense, is now also a threat to viability for some smaller logging businesses. 

Shoulder injuries are too common an occurrence in logging. Industry truckers are at an especially high risk, with throwing and tightening load straps and hefting chains being major causes. 

The good news about shoulder injuries, as with so much I write in this column, is that they are largely preventable by applying responsible ergonomic practices and following a basic strength and stretch program.

Ergonomics: Technique counts. Up to 80% of all shoulder injuries are considered impingement injuries, meaning that soft tissue,muscle or a nerve becomes pinched. It is usually painful, and always results in difficulty or reduced mobility and weakenss. The leading cause of this type of injury is not what you may think–not actual overexertion in, say, throwing a load strap or lifting a tire chain. The true culprit is misalignment of the shoulder while doing a task. Improper posture while lifting or during a physical activity like pulling down while tightening a strap are alignment issues. If we all stood correctly and squared off to our work rather than hastily doing it at an odd angle, we might actually eliminate most shoulder injuries–eliminate all that pain, personal inconvenience, and lost productivity.

Attempted fall recovery is also, essentially, a misalignment injury. When we reach out in the act of falling at awkward angles, we combine poor positioning with a tense body and a wrenching force. Typically we try to stop ourselves with a single hand, meaning all that force is put on a single shoulder. While we certainly cannot plan for proper posture and weight distribution during a fall, we can take steps to reduce falls in the first place. Be aware of slick in icy conditions, take hold of rails and supports preemptively rather than lunging for them in the midst of a fall. Wear proper foot gear. Actively reduce trip hazards. Good practice counts. Remember, even if no single action results in an immediate injury, repeated minor incidents can result in a chronic injury from wear and tear (in this case, literal micro tears adding up to produce a rotator cuff injury). As always, the best treatment isn’t treatment at all, but prevention. 

Strengthening and Stretching: Fortunately, the science tells us a basic, quick exercise routine is all it takes to greatly reduce your chance of injury. As little as three times a week for five minutes! You don’t need to go to a gym if that’s not your scene. A few light weights or exercise bands are all you need for a perfectly effective workout at home. 

If you have been relatively inactive for a while or are new to exercise, I would encourage you to talk to a personal trainer at the local gym. If you have some compromising issue such as a previous rotator cuff injury, arthritis, or other pains or restricted mobility, see your PCP for guidance. 

Remember, just as the knees of your jeans tear out more easily when the fabric wears thin, so too will your shoulders tear when your muscle mass declines. And just like our jeans, we wear out with age–if we do nothing to prevent it. We begin losing about 1% of our muscle mass a year after age 30, and that loss accelerates to 3% at 65. That means that, if you are the average age of a logger in Maine (45) and haven’t been exercising all along, you’re 15% weaker than you were when The Matrix came out and Faith Hill was topping the country charts with “Breathe”.

Another preventative measure is to work on micro-stretch breaks throughout your workday. Sitting in the same posture all day is good for no one. Getting out of your seat or work station periodically and simply standing straight and walking about is important. A few simple, quick stretches added to that routine can help open up tight muscles and unkink the body. This need be no more than a couple of minutes. Aside from preventing injury, this simple, healthy practice, done hourly, is proven to increase rather than decrease productivity. The concept is a simple one: do gentle stretches in positions opposite to your work position. If you work seated, do standing, lengthening stretches. Do not push too hard or too fast, slow and steady wins the stretching race. Jerky motions can lead to pain, even injury. As always, if you have specific pains or concerns, talk to your PCP. Maine LogAbility is working on a Yoga for Loggers guide with stretches for both inside and outside a cab. In the meantime, we presently have posters for farmers and fishermen, and many of these same stretches work perfectly for loggers. Check our website for posters and short stretch videos. 

One of the most common questions loggers have is how long to wait before seeing their PCP. If you have a traumatic (impact) injury with substantial pain, go directly to your doctor, emergent care or the hospital. You may have sustained structural damage that can get worse if untreated. If you have a minor soreness from a bump or strenuous use, but you are still able to get your work done without wincing or flinching in pain, try to rest the muscle by avoiding or minimizing   motions and activities that exacerbate the soreness. If the soreness remains after two weeks, it’s time to call your PCP.

Do you have pain in the shoulder with recurrent tasks, especially at night while sleeping on one side? That’s likely a rotator cuff injury. Ask your PCP if you should see a specialist. Remember, the longer you wait for help, the more likely you will injure it further and require more health care, which means it will be more expensive to treat and you will lose more work and quality of life outside of work. In this regard, you are like the expensive equipment you operate: ignoring strange sounds indicating the need for basic maintenance or minor repairs is a mistake that may mean time lost and more expensive repairs. Unlike logging equipment, you are irreplaceable, and have a life outside the job site.