Business Applications
Introduction
Prevention is always better than the cure, and if disorders and medical conditions are adequately addressed, taking a holistic approach to the patient’s well-being, absenteeism (sick leave) and turnover is reduced, and productivity and profitability is increased - a very positive outcome for the employer.
With facilities available at on site Occupational Health Clinics, where employees can be treated by medically trained massage therapists and aromatherapists, using massage to manage stress, and treat muscular complaints and certain indicated injuries at work (IOD’s), the employee’s chances of a swift and smooth recovery are increased, and thus productivity and profitability are increased. The employer’s costs in terms of loss of man hours (absenteesism), recruitment and training of new staff, (turnover) are substantially reduced.
Holistic Occupational Stress Therapy (HOST)
According to, Doherty,B, Hill, D. Healing Power, 77, editors of Men’s Health Books, getting a massage does more than just make you feel good - it is a powerful weapon against stress. Experts estimate that anywhere from 75% to 90% of Doctors visits are for stress related disorders. Various studies have been linked to asthma, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, heart attacks, cancer and the common cold (Schilling, 2007) and (Stress and Physical Health, 2000).
A person under severe stress will carry the burden of that stress into all aspects of their lives. It impacts negatively on their personal situation as well as on their work and relationships and ultimately on their health. It is not something that can be left at home. In the workplace people are also placed under considerable amounts of stress. Stress has been directly related to the cause of illness, which leads to absenteeism. Researches have reported that when a person is highly stressed for a period of more than a month, it doubles his/her chances of catching a cold compared with a person with only routine stress. The greatest impact on getting sick was work related stress and problems within personal relationships. Over time, if stress persists, high levels of stress hormones deplete nutrients and energy reserves in our bodies, which create an overall state of exhaustion. This condition has a negative effect on blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. The stomach will secrete more acid, and the brain can become starved of glucose, impairing mental ability. This situation impacts on the immune system, which leaves the body susceptible to infection and illness (Friedman. R.M, 1999:211).
Richard Gerber M.D (1988: 435) says, "There has been a gradual evolution of medical thought, moving physicians’ thinking toward an appreciation of human beings as complex systems of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual characteristics. The progressive shift toward a more humanistic medicine has been responsible for the holistic movement in health care. The reductionist model of the human machine as the sum of its component parts has not been entirely successful in providing therapeutic insights into treating disease, nor in understanding the greater nature of human health. For in reality, humans are greater than the sum of their physical organs and nervous systems, because the physical body is not a simple closed system."
The World Healthcare Organization states that when addressing stress you need to address the well being of the entire person as regards physiological, mental and social health (Health, 2007). The LaLonde report (1981: 6) proposes four general determinants of health. They are "human biology", "environment", "lifestyle" and "healthcare organization". Health is consequently maintained through the science and practice of medicine but can and should definitely be enhanced and improved by individual effort. This individual effort to improve health includes weight loss, healthy diet, physical fitness, stress management training, not smoking or abusing substances (Health, 2007).
"Workplace programs are recognized by an increasingly large number of companies for their value in improving health and well-being of their employees, and increasing morale, loyalty and productivity at work. A company may provide a gym with exercise equipment, start smoking cessation programs, provide nutrition, weight or stress management training. Other programs may include health risk assessments, health screenings and body mass index monitoring" (Health, 2007).
Correct management of stress in the workplace by means of a holistic approach will contribute to a healthier workforce. In the management of stress, therapeutic massage can be incorporated by means of a concept called condition management. This involves the use of massage methods to support patients within an existing set of life circumstances that creates chronic stress e.g. stressful work environment, caring for an ailing parent or child, financial strain, strain within a relationship. Condition management is beneficial when the likelihood of the situation changing is not a viable possibility e.g. job-related repetitive injury strain, amputation or diabetes or the timeframe for changing a situation needs to be postponed for a period of time.
On a physical level, massage can offer benefits by managing the existing physical compensation patterns and sometimes slowing the process of chronic conditions or preventing a situation from becoming worse. On an emotional level, massage can assist in the management of physical stress symptoms to allow the person to cope better with life stresses that cannot be altered.
Stress related disorders
Research in America has shown that anywhere from 75% to 90% of visits to the doctor are for stress-related disorders. Various disorders such as asthma, diabetes, gastro-intestinal problems, heart attacks and cancer are linked to stress. The burden of stress is carried into all aspects of a person’s life, affecting not only their work, but also personal relationships, and ultimately their health. Depression is said to be the largest growing occupational disease of the 21st century. HOST has been proven to be effective in treating anxiety, depression, sleep disorders as well as physical and emotional symptoms of stress.
Since the current levels of stress in the workplace are escalating exponentially, there is a growing need for complementary non-invasive therapies. A holistic approach has to be adopted to teach people how to manage stress, thus stress therapy in the workplace has become the logical next step for employers of large workforces. Stress Management without an implementation tool remains only a term - Holistic Occupational Stress Therapy is that tool. Our service can easily link up with EAP/EWP services currently functioning in companies.
Ergonomic related disorders
The office presents plenty of opportunities for an array of occupational complaints and repetitive strain injuries, such as headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, aching backs and tense necks, shoulders and wrists, caused by postural and ergonomic constraints or injuries on duty. Some employees suffer from bad circulation, from long periods in the same position etc.
Employees suffering from these disorders end up visiting the on site Occupational Clinic or their General Practitioner. Due to these disorders they are usually absent from work for up to a period of three days.
We propose an alternative:
Orthodox treatment at the on site clinic with a referral to the on site InEssence therapist who will evaluate the employee and implement an effective treatment plan which will comprise of no more than 30minutes per session, after which the employee will return to his workstation and be productive for the rest of the day.
Chronic medical conditions
Remedial massage can be used effectively to complement medical interventions for chronic conditions such as arthritis, migraine headache, hypertension and diabetes, as well as acute conditions such as tension headaches, sports injuries and MVA injuries.
Injuries on duty (IODs)
Certain non-disabling injuries on duty such as sprains and strains or repetitive task injuries can be treated in conjunction with the conventional treatment regime. This results in an employee receiving treatment at his place of work and thus being absent from his workstation for 30 minutes only and not having to take half a day or a full day’s sick leave. For the employer this is a favourable outcome. Employees are referred to the HOST therapist by the Occupational Health Professional on site.
Incentive Program
Some companies successfully implement a system of rewards and incentives to enhance performance of the workforce. Our products for example, Aromatherapy or Thermal therapies can be utilized as an on-site incentive or soft perk, easily accessible to teams who have excelled or have performed well.
Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is a dangerous and more severe manifestation of stress due to over exposure and no management strategy. In our country today we witness these phenomena continuously. Police officers, and people who on a daily basis are exposed to very stressful events kill themselves and even their families. A study done by the International Labour Organization (2006) concluded that "stress possibly had an adverse effect on the development and maintenance of working relationships with the public, and that officers under stress could pose a real threat to their own safety and that of others." An inability to cope with stress can lead people to resort to drastic actions. Finally, this same research document states that stress management programs initiated by employers and government could make a difference in the current situation.
Some people become psychotic and violent; look at the level of road rage as an example (Ka Makaula, 2007). At work it might manifest in the form of an employee damaging company property, or holding fellow employees hostage. David Lewis, as cited by David (2007) says, "Many workers today are sinking under a deluge of data . . . Overwhelmed by information, . . . they become stressed out, reckless, paralysed by analysis." At best an employee might just become so aggravated that he walks out and does not return; at worst the employee might kill a colleague (Lee, 2005). In many cases, employees are even starting to bring litigation against employers claiming workplace bullying (McIlvaine, 1999).
Workplace violence is escalating at an alarming rate and HR is forced to implement certain safety procedures to safeguard their employees. Our argument is that if you manage stress in a controlled ongoing manner in the workplace, implementing HOST (Holistic Occupational Stress Therapy) as part of a management strategy with regards workplace violence, the bottom line of cost to the company can be reduced. Make no mistake; the indirect cost to companies as a result of workplace violence is escalating.