Work Related Back Pain

Work can present unique challenges when experiencing lower back or neck pain because of the unique positions and activities presented in many job situations.

Causes

• Excessive periods of static positioning:
  Sitting- can increase stress on the discs increasing the probability of disc pathology (bulges or herniations).
  Standing- excessive standing can cause increased load on all of the structures of the spine, including the discs and facet joints, which can accelerate the degenerative processes of the spine. This can be worsened by standing on hard or concrete floors for long periods of time.
  Driving- this causes the same stresses as sitting, although the forces are worsened secondary to the vibration and bouncing associated with driving.
• Lifting- although many spine problems are repetitive motion problems, lifting heavy weights and objects can increase the load on the spine in large amounts. Many times this is worsened by trying to lift objects in awkward and unbalanced positions, especially when lifting and twisting at the same time.
• Repetitive Movements- many times jobs involve tasks with repetitive movements, which cause increased stress on one area in a certain range of motion. This leads to a wearing down of that area in that range of motion.

Treatment
Treatments will vary depending on the area affected and the signs and symptoms that are present. For neck and back problems see the Acute Low Back, Chronic Low Back, Acute Neck and Chronic Neck headings in this section.

Be Wary Of
Treatments that don’t address the mechanical causes of your condition. If treatments only help temporarily then they are not going to help long-term. Specific exercises are the only ways to address your problem long-term.