With many people in the area working in the rural environment, we see many patients who have injured themselves at their work. Most often they present with acute symtoms such as joint pain.

Mechanisation has eliminated a lot of the manual labour previously associated with farming, such s lifting and carrying bales of hay or straw, shovelling and sweeping. However there are many situations that the modern farmer and farmworkers still face on a daily basis that may lead to problems. Inocuous activaties such as, walking across uneven or muddy ground, getting on or off larger tractors or implements, carrying or shifting large objects, handling livestock, sheep shearing and stone walling all have their inherent risks.