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
This pain is often caused by spending long periods of time in the same position or motion.
- 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 – lifting heavy things can severely increase the load on the spine. 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 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 pages.
Be wary...
Medication can cover up the existing mechanical cause of your condition, and rehabilitation that doesn’t include specific and extensive exercising, plus instruction on how to manage pain when not in the clinic won’t solve problems of pain.