Which factor most strongly contributes to cumulative trauma disorders by causing repetitive strain?

Which factor most strongly contributes to cumulative trauma disorders by causing repetitive strain?

• A. Repetitive use of the same body part
• B. Long work hours without breaks
• C. Low lighting levels
• D. Adequate task variation

Answer: (A)

Cumulative trauma disorders come from tissues being stressed over and over in the same way, so they don’t have enough time to repair between loads. Repeating the same motion with the same body part causes microtrauma to muscles, tendons, and nerves, which accumulates over time and leads to inflammation and pain. This repetitive use is the strongest driver because it directly creates the kind of sustained, repetitive strain that builds up, even more than just long hours or other factors. Long work hours without breaks can worsen the risk by reducing recovery time, but they don’t by themselves impose the specific repetitive load on a single body part. Low lighting levels aren’t a primary cause of repetitive strain, though they might contribute to discomfort or awkward posture in some tasks. Adequate task variation actually helps prevent these injuries by distributing load among different muscles and joints, so it’s protective rather than causative.

Cumulative trauma disorders come from tissues being stressed over and over in the same way, so they don’t have enough time to repair between loads. Repeating the same motion with the same body part causes microtrauma to muscles, tendons, and nerves, which accumulates over time and leads to inflammation and pain. This repetitive use is the strongest driver because it directly creates the kind of sustained, repetitive strain that builds up, even more than just long hours or other factors.

Long work hours without breaks can worsen the risk by reducing recovery time, but they don’t by themselves impose the specific repetitive load on a single body part. Low lighting levels aren’t a primary cause of repetitive strain, though they might contribute to discomfort or awkward posture in some tasks. Adequate task variation actually helps prevent these injuries by distributing load among different muscles and joints, so it’s protective rather than causative.