Beth L. Vealé

Stretching for Sonographers A Literature Review of Sonographer-Reported Musculoskeletal Injuries

With increasing patient loads, many sonographers have found themselves scanning in pain; up to 90% of sonographers have experienced pain while scanning. In this literature review, the question is asked, Are there any methods, such as stretching exercises, that a sonographer could personally implement to reduce or alleviate musculoskeletal injury? The literature of interest was located using online databases including CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, and SAGE Publications. Themes included sonographer, injury, musculoskeletal, stretching, and exercise. The literature shows a clear pattern of work-related musculoskeletal injury for actively scanning sonographers, but it is clear that more research is needed in the area of musculoskeletal injury prevention and alleviation. Research reports and case studies were explored for benefits of stretching across a spectrum of disciplines; specifically absent are large-scale studies looking at the benefits of a stretching and exercise program, preferably one integrated into the daily work schedule.