Physiotherapy advice for plumbing and heating professionals
Callum Hewitt, Trainee Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner, from the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, shares some of the common musculoskeletal problems plumbers experience and gives advice on how to prevent them.
Pain to the knees from prolonged kneeling, back and shoulder pain after bending over, joint pain in the wrists and elbows when installing plumbing systems. Sound familiar? A survey by Water Regs UK last year found that 73.2% of plumbers reported joint aches, closely followed by 69.3% experiencing back pain. Plumbing professionals are at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal pain and therefore active prevention is essential. You must think a little like a professional sportsperson. A Professional footballer spends a large part of their week (more than actually practicing football) working on strength and conditioning to reduce their injury risks and prepare their body. We can translate this into any profession.
The main types of injuries and joint pain physiotherapists see from plumbers include:
Knee injuries – A common injury for plumbers is patellar bursitis. This happens when the bursa, a small sac next to the knee, becomes inflamed from regular kneeling and pressure.
Back and Neck pain – Often related to crouching or bending over in cramped spaces for sustained periods.
Ankle and foot injuries – sprains and strains and plantar fasciitis are common amongst plumbers, due to working on uneven and slippery surfaces, as well as navigating busy construction sites.
Plumbers are also prone to injuries to the smaller bones and joints in their hands and arms, whether that’s trigger finger, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow or rotator cuff tendinopathy. Plumbers who frequently perform repetitive gripping motions, twisting or work with vibrating tools are at a higher risk of developing these conditions. The good news is there are things you can do to prevent some of these conditions and improve your bone and joint health.
Avoid sustained positions (If possible!)
As a plumbing and heating professional it is unavoidable that you will spend parts of your day in awkward positions which are sustained. This can lead to muscle and joint stiffness as well as overload / repetitive strain. But you can employ some strategies to counter the effects of this.
• Take regular breaks (at least every half hour) to stand up, move and stretch
• Have some go to stretches / mobility exercises that you complete daily (see below)
• If possible, break up awkward tasks to vary your position through the day
Improve muscle strength and mobility
Good mobility and stronger muscles can help prevent on the job injuries, as they make sure your body is equipped to handle the everyday challenges that come with working as a plumbing and heating professional.
If you have any medical conditions or concerns consult your GP prior to commencing an exercise regime.
We would always recommend always starting with a gentle warm up to get the muscles and joints prepared for exercises. It is important to take the first few sessions of any new programme steady and build up slowly so your body can adapt.
Cardiovascular exercise
Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. You can split this as you see fit. For example, one brisk activity and one moderate activity per week.
Moderate activity Brisk Activity
• Brisk walk
• Riding a bike
• Hiking
• Pushing a lawn mower
Brisk Activity
• Running
• Swimming
• Sports such as Rugby, Football or Netball
• Aerobics
• Martial arts
• Gymnastics
Strengthening exercises
We recommend strengthening exercises that target all the major muscle groups (Legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) 2-3 times a week. To get strength benefits the exercises you do should make the muscle tire towards the last few repetitions. As a general rule repeat them until you feel the muscle aching.
Below are some examples of high value exercises.
Wrist rollers – Sit or stand. Hold on to a dowel rod, stick, bar or rolling pin, with your palms facing down. Roll the dowel rod in one direction, and then the other. To make the exercise more challenging, speed up the rolling.
Squat to chair – Stand in front of a chair as if you are going to sit down. Slowly squat down to the chair as if you are going to sit down. Just before sitting, stand back up slowly.
Knee kick outs – Sitting. Slowly extend one of your legs so your knee is straight. Hold for 5-10 seconds and slowly return to neutral. To make this harder add a light weight to the ankle or use an exercise band to add resistance.
Dead bugs – Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the floor while keeping your lower back pressed to the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
Farmers walks – Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and stand tall (You can use a shopping bag filled with books or tins). Walk a set distance or time while keeping your core engaged and your posture upright.
Bird dogs – Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Extend your right arm forward and left leg backward, keeping both straight and parallel to the floor (Imagine and plate on your lower back, you must keep this area still so the plate doesn’t fall off). Hold for a second, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
There are a range of upper body and lower body exercises you can do to strengthen specific muscle groups. As you get stronger, you can increase your weights and repetition of each exercise.
Improving overall health
As well as the physical challenges presented by installing plumbing systems, other factors like general physical activity, mental health, smoking and weight all increase the likelihood of Musculoskeletal pain. Getting good quality sleep allows your body to repair tissue and improve your immune system. Think about making small changes to move more and get more sleep – things like adding in a 15 minute walk every day or limiting screen use before bed adds up over time to better health. Moving more along with reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking can significantly reduce the risk of developing bone and joint issues. It also reduces the risk of other health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Don’t forget that the small consistent changes often make a big difference.
