Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: prevalence and contributing risk factors—a narrative review

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major global occupational health concern, causing substantial pain, disability, and economic burden. They affect muscles, tendons, nerves, joints, and related structures, arising from or being aggravated by workplace factors. This narrative mini-review synthesizes evidence from targeted searches of peer-reviewed occupational health and ergonomics literature, focusing on epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and recent advances in risk assessment. The review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transport, and office work, where the lower back, neck, shoulders, and upper limbs are most frequently affected. Physical risk factors include repetitive motion, forceful exertion, awkward postures, prolonged static positions, and vibration exposure, while psychosocial factors such as high job demands, low control, inadequate support, and job dissatisfaction further increase risk. Individual characteristics, including age, gender, body mass index, and genetics, also influence susceptibility and highlight the need for tailored prevention, for example, interventions that accommodate women’s double work burden and age-sensitive strategies that help older workers maintain functional capacity. Advances in biomechanical modeling, wearable sensors, and multifactorial risk assessment now allow more precise exposure quantification and earlier detection of WMSD risk. Effective prevention requires multidisciplinary strategies that combine ergonomic workplace redesign, worker training, organizational policies addressing psychosocial risks, health promotion, and early clinical intervention. By consolidating epidemiological evidence, key risk factors, and prevention approaches from an occupational health perspective, this review supports evidence-informed prevention and underscores that coordinated occupational health policies and participatory workplace practices are essential to achieve sustainable reductions in the global burden of WMSDs.