According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2.5 million work injuries take place throughout the country each year.
The good news is this number has decreased by almost 2% in recent years. But the bad news is there are still entirely too many work injuries occurring on an annual basis.
A work injury can be anything from a laceration to a concussion. But the most common work injuries of all tend to be injuries that lead to back pain.
There are quite a few things that can cause a back injury at work. It would be best if you learned about them so you can hopefully avoid going through back-related work injury treatment at any point.
Check out five of the most common causes of work injuries and back pain below.
1. Lifting Heavy Objects
Do you have to do your fair share of lifting heavy objects as part of your job? If so, know that this can cause one of the most common work injuries.
If you’re in charge of lifting heavy objects day in and day out, it might only be a matter of time before you end up with a pulled muscle in your back. This pulled muscle will usually be very painful. It’ll also make it difficult to get back to lifting heavy objects again.
Initially, you should try to rest the pulled muscle in your back as much as possible. You should also consider over-the-counter medications designed to treat back pain.
But if these things don’t do the trick, you might want to arrange to see a doctor. They’ll be able to run the right tests on your back to see if you have something more serious going on.
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t start working again until your back has had enough time to heal. You might even want to explore leaving work for a few weeks with a workers’ compensation injury.
2. Improper Lifting Technique
As long as you use the proper lifting technique when picking up heavy objects at work, you should be able to avoid sustaining too many work injuries. But if you get into the habit of using improper lifting techniques, it can become a huge problem.
Many people will try to lift heavy objects with the muscles in their backs instead of using their legs. This can result in muscle strains in your back that can put you out of work for an extended period.
Always remember to lift with your legs and not your back at any point. You’ll be asking for trouble if you rely on your back muscles too much.
3. Repetition
If you lift things day in and day out but aren’t all that heavy, you might be under the impression that you’ll be in the clear regarding work injuries. But unfortunately, this might not be the case.
Repetition is another thing you’ll need to be worried about when you spend your days lifting items. If you make the same movements over and over (and over!) again, your body will begin to break down on you. It’ll result in you sustaining work injuries.
If you feel as though you’re making too many repetitive movements each day, this might be something you’ll want to bring up with your boss. They might be able to switch up your assignments to help you avoid the repetitive movements that can lead to back-related work injuries.
4. Slips and Falls
More than 1 million people take trips to the emergency room yearly with slip and fall injuries. Another 8 million people head to the emergency room yearly with injuries sustained during falls.
Many of these injuries don’t involve the back at all. But some people will suffer work injuries involving their backs. From bruises to their back muscles to fractured vertebrae, there are so many different types of work injuries people are diagnosed with following slips and fall at work.
You might be able to reduce the chances of you ever suffering slips and falls by doing something as simple as wearing the proper footwear. You can also look around while walking and avoid wet spots or uneven ground.
5. Inactivity
After learning about the first four causes of back-related work injuries listed here, you might think staying inactive would be the safest way to avoid these injuries. But believe it or not, not moving around enough can be just as bad for your back as lifting heavy objects with the wrong form.
Lower back pain, in particular, will tend to set in if you sit down in a chair all day long without getting up and moving around. Make it your mission to get up and walk around at work occasionally if you have a desk job that doesn’t require you to do much else.
By doing this, you’ll give your back muscles a chance to stretch out. You’ll also get the blood flowing throughout your body and reduce the risk of a work injury.
Contact Us to Treat Work Injuries Involving Your Back
Did you recently sustain a back injury at work? These work injuries have become very common over the last several decades.
The Advanced Spine Center can give you the back pain relief you need. We’ll help you choose the right work injury treatment based on the kind of injury you suffered.
Reach out to us today to make an appointment with the best NJ spine doctor around.