Building a good ergonomic foundation using anti-fatigue mats and proper footwear with Dr. Linda Miller

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by PearsonRavitz Insurance. You can learn about them and schedule a consultation on my website at: https://pearsonravitz.com/surgicalergonomics/Disclosure: PearsonRavitz is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. Episode details:Dr. Linda Miller is the CEO and Founder of EWI Works International Inc., Western Canada’s leading ergonomics and wellness company. With more than 35 years of experience in ergonomics and occupational therapy, Dr. Miller continues to lead EWI Works into new territory, particularly in technology.   She has extensive experience in healthcare ergonomics.  Recently, Dr. Miller and her team developed a marker-less motion capture system called PoseChecker (TM) designed to analyze worker videos to determine the level of musculoskeletal injury risk associated with their work activities.   Dr. Miller’s also has a passion for education and empowerment which is reflected not only in EWI Works’ services and products, but also in her position as an Adjunct professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Department of occupational therapy where she is a part-time clinical lecturer.In this episode, Dr. Miller- Shares her journey of dual training in Occupational therapy and Ergonomics- Delves into details regarding the goals of anti-fatigue mats, where they are typically used and how they can benefit workers, including health care workers in OR and procedural spaces- Elaborates on the findings of a recent study showing reduced MSK symptoms from using anti-fatigue mats in the OR for up to 24 hours post-op and for all surgical personnel i.e. surgeons, assistants and scrub techs (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11775457/)- Discusses the pros and cons of various types of footwear used in procedural areas such as running shoes and clogs and shares that the task they are going to be used for is what determines which footwear is usitable- Provides tips for purchasing footwear and orthotics (if needed) and also considerations for when they should be replacedYou can read more about Posechecker (TM) here: https://ewiworks.com/posechecker/You can reach Linda at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindalmiller/?originalSubdomain=caFollow Surgical Ergonomics on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the podcastIf you found this episode valuable, please share it with a colleague or your perioperative team to help bring greater awareness to the role of ergonomics in career longevity. If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd be grateful if you left a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your reviews help others discover the show and support our mission of improving the health and longevity of surgeons and proceduralists worldwide.