Scanning through the pain: Ergonomic considerations for performing echocardiography of animals

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a common problem among sonographers, with prevalence in human sonographers of 80–90%. However, this problem appears to be largely neglected in the veterinary literature. Awareness of MSDs, ergonomic redesign, workplace management, and physical self-care are components to reducing the risk of developing MSDs. Work-place redesign and alterations in work flow management are discussed, and a template for a more ergonomically favorable echocardiogram table is provided.