Download this article as a pdf file. What we call the aches, pains, and strains of manual labor are known as work-related musculoskeletal disorders by those who worry about our health. Musculoskeletal disorders are physical conditions affecting muscles, tendons, nerves, and joints that are not due to acute trauma, such as falling from a ladder. Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of disability among workers. Between 1997 and 2005, they cost the agriculture industry $136 million and 862,500 lost workdays. In the tree fruit industry, they account for almost a quarter of all Washington State Department of Labor and Industry […]