Did you know workers lose an average of 10 days of work due to musculoskeletal problems? That is right! Musculoskeletal problems account for more lost workdays than any other health-related condition.
As per the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), over a million workers experience spine and back injuries every year. Even being stationary at your desk throughout the day will lead to a sprained spine. The situation is much worse for manual labor jobs, which involve a lot of standing and heavy lifting.
Luckily, spinal cord injuries can be avoided by implementing a few practices. Here is a comprehensive guide on spine injury and how to avoid it at work.
Spine Injury: What Is It?
A spinal injury can range from a minor lumbar (lower spine) strain to irreversible damage to the spinal cord. When the muscles and tissues of the lumbar (lower) spine are stressed or injured, they swell. Following this inflammation, you then experience pain and muscular spasms.
Your muscles could also feel achy, tight, and sore. Apart from pulling a muscle, stress on your spine can result in an inflamed nerve root. In this case, you are more likely to experience pain that feels electric, tingling, and hot. The discomfort and pain could also become more intense with movement.
On the other hand, severe spinal injury refers to damage to the spinal cord or its end nerves. It occurs as a result of a direct hit to the spine or a cut to the spine. A spinal cord injury frequently results in lifelong weakness and a loss of feeling and function below the injury site.
Why Are You Experiencing Back Pain? – Causes of Spinal Injury at the Workplace
Whether dull and achy or severe and piercing, back pain can make it very hard for you to focus on your work. Unfortunately, many jobs, such as office jobs, manufacturing, construction, and nursing, put a lot of strain on your back.
Here are five leading primary causes of spinal injury at work:
Force
Moving and lifting large objects is a job best left for machinery. Regularly lifting heavy objects or even lifting an averagely heavy object in the wrong posture can exert too much pressure on your back. This can stress your muscles or nerves, which might result in a muscle sprain, hence lumbar spine injuries.
Repetition
Your spine can move in all sorts of directions, as gymnasts have rightly proven. However, it was not built to be a robot to repeat the same pattern repeatedly.
As such, certain actions, particularly those that entail twisting or turning your spine, might harm your spine if done repeatedly.
Inactivity
Even something as simple as sitting or standing all day can result in chronic back pain. Your body is not designed to stay in the same position all day. This can cause weakness in some parts of your spine, especially when accompanied by bad posture.
Lifestyle Factors
Sometimes, other conditions can result in a spinal injury at the workplace. These include poor physical health, obesity, and aging. While you can not control your age, you can maintain a healthy weight to minimize stress on your spine.
Accidents
Even if your work does not involve regular heavy lifting, you could slip and fall down the stairs and injure your spine.
Preventing Injuries in the Workplace
Some people are at higher risk for spinal injury than others. These include people with:
- Occupations that require a lot of physical activity
- Poor physical conditions and disability
- Psychosocial stressors such as depression.
- Improper body mechanics
- A generally poor posture when sitting or lifting
However, spine injury can be avoided with a few effective preventative strategies. They include:
Prevention Strategies for Force Injuries
These strategies involve looking for solutions to prevent strenuous activity. For example, when lifting heavy items, ask for help so you can lift them correctly or use machines when possible.
Prevention Strategies for Repetition Injuries
If you can, alternate job duties to avoid repetitive injuries. Do not always be the guy emptying boxes from warehouse trucks; otherwise, you will strain your lumber. Change your responsibilities when you can. You can also invest in safety gear such as a softback brace to protect your spine.
Prevention Strategies for Inactivity Injuries
Inactivity injuries happen mostly because of poor posture. As such, be more mindful of your posture.
Avoid slouching or bending towards your computer screen by keeping your head directly above your shoulders. If you are sitting for the better part of your day, consider purchasing a supportive office chair. You should also alternate between sitting and standing, even if it’s only standing to pick phone calls.
General Strategies for Better Spine Health
- Eat a Healthy Diet and Drink Plenty of Water
Ensure that you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients can aid in strengthening your bones from being weak and brittle. Additionally, if you do not drink enough water, your body will not function properly, resulting in back discomfort.
- Spinal Strength Training Exercise
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, every person should engage in strength training at least twice a week, strenuous cardiovascular exercise at least 75 minutes a week, and moderate aerobic activity of at least 150 minutes a week.
Therefore, you should engage in cardiovascular exercises like walking and swimming while training your back and abdomen with strengthening and stretching exercises.
- Give Up Smoking if You Do
Smoking decreases blood supply to the lower spine, leading to spinal disk deterioration and delayed recovery from back injuries.
- Pay Attention to Your Body
If you must sit for an extended amount of time, switch positions frequently. To relieve tension, take a stroll and gently stretch your muscles regularly. Examine your working environment for any potential sources of back pain and take action if you can detect any signs of body strain.
- Stretch Your Body Frequently
Stretching relieves muscular tension and imbalance, which can help with back and joint pain. Back discomfort is also aggravated by muscle tension. As such, stretch your back out and your core muscles, arms, and legs since they are all interconnected.
Reach Out to New York Spine Specialist for Spine Injury Treatment
If you have sustained a back injury from work-related activities, you are going to need the support of a compassionate specialist to get back on your feet. Some severe injuries also require one to file a workers’ compensation claim. This may necessitate the services of a workers’ comp attorney to access workers’ compensation benefits.
New York Spine Specialist has years of experience helping hundreds of people who have suffered from spinal injuries. We are experts in the interventional treatment of both simple and complex spine issues. We can identify spine-related disorders such as pinched nerves, spinal stenosis, spinal instability, fractures, and neck or back discomfort. Let us provide relief for your Spine injury!
Our doctors accept workers’ compensation insurance, no-fault, PIP (personal injury protection), medical liens, and other insurance plans. Call us today at (516) 355-0111 to schedule an appointment.
