What Jobs Cause the Most Back Strain and Injury?
Each year, over one million individuals experience back injuries in the workplace. However, not all jobs pose an equal risk of such injuries. In this article, we will explore four professions particularly prone to back injuries and the reasons behind this trend.
Construction Workers
This comes as no surprise. Construction workers are required to perform physically taxing labor daily, such as shoveling, lifting heavy materials, and using power tools for long periods.
This type of activity puts immense pressure on the lower back area, causing direct trauma and leading to ongoing pain and tenderness in their muscles and joints. Additionally, the lack of restorative postures while working further contributes to the difficulty they experience.
Nurses, Doctors, and Surgeons
The medical setting is another workplace that is particularly prone to back injuries. Nurses, doctors, and surgeons are often on their feet for long shifts. They perform many repetitive motions as they treat patients.
Lifting patients or heavy equipment, carrying out strenuous tasks using little assistance, and remaining in awkward positions during a procedure can all decrease body-supporting strength in the spine’s muscles, leading to back injuries.
Additionally, these medical professionals have additional duties, such as stocking medical supplies or sitting at a desk to complete charts or other paperwork, which may further contribute to back issues.
Warehouse Workers
From loading and unloading heavy packages to stacking boxes on high shelves, warehouse workers constantly move and do strenuous physical activity, which can take a toll on their backs over time.
Unfortunately, without proper posture or techniques to aid in the replenishment cycle, it’s easy to sustain back injuries such as bulged discs and muscle strains when using inappropriate form while handling products or working at awkward angles that strain the spine. This risk increases if a worker routinely engages in hazardous manual tasks such as lifting frozen masters to very high pallet racks.
Professional Drivers
Working as a professional driver, whether a truck or bus driver, can wear down your spine, shoulders, and back over time. These individuals spend most of their days sitting behind the wheel, exposed to long hours of driving and grueling road traffic conditions. This, coupled with the vibration and jostling of the vehicle, can easily lead to back injuries.
Additionally, the oftentimes-involuntary reactions and corrections needed throughout various journeys require concentrated effort that can cause issues such as muscular tension to begin accumulating around the spine. Professional drivers are at risk of developing chronic back problems.
Injured at Work?
At the Law Office of James. M. Hoffman, we have proven time and time again our ability to assist those who are looking for reliable representation for any case regarding a workplace injury. We’ll provide a comprehensive understanding of your legal options and skillfully guide your case through every step of the process. Contact us today to speak with an experienced Missouri workers’ compensation attorney.
