Lost Days of Work Due to Back Pain
Nearly all of us will be
affected with back pain of some kind within our lifetime but
what impact does this have on our lives and the world around
us?
Back pain and the impact on our lives
Back
pain can play a major part in people's lives; the pain they
feel can seriously affect what they do on a day-to-day
basis.
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Back pain we just hate it
The back functions in nearly
every move you make, this is
what makes back pain so
uncomfortable. Nearly everyone
will suffer at least one attack
of back pain in his or her
lifetime, because of this it is
important that people have
knowledge about the possible
back conditions there are.
Your back is full of
muscles, ligaments and bones,
which supports your upper body.
If you lift heavy items or make
sudden, awkward movements you
are likely to sprain a muscle
in your back that can be very
painful. The area of the back
which is most likely to cause a
problem is the lower back,
which carries a lot more
pressure and is a lot less
sturdy than the upper back.
Spraining a muscle or
ligament requires rest and pain
relief medication; your body
will repair itself over time,
although this can take weeks
rather than days.
There are more serious
conditions that can cause back
pain, like the following
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal
stenosis is narrowing of the
spinal canal due to bone
overgrowth or arthritis; this
can press on a nerve causing a
lot of pain. If it is not found
early enough it could
eventually affect the spinal
cord itself causing more
dangerous problems.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a
condition where one vertebrae
slips forward over another one
causing considerable pain. It
can be dangerous for the
vertebrae to slip forward
because it can cause problems
with the spinal cord and reduce
the strength of the
back.
Sciatica
Sciatica is caused from a
herniated disc pressing on the
sciatic nerve causing shooting
pains through the buttocks to
one or both of the legs. This
condition doesn’t always give
constant pain as it depends on
the reason why the nerve has
become pressured.
Trauma
Should a person suffer an
accident that causes trauma to
the back, it may damage the
muscles, ligaments or spinal
column, which can cause
excruciating pain. With trauma
the damage can vary quite
dramatically, because of this
so does the treatments
involved.
There are more rare and
dangerous back conditions;
these conditions carry more
specific treatment.
Cancer of the
spine
Cancer in the spine produces
a tumor that can press on
nerves around the spinal canal
causing considerable pain.
Because cancer is debilitating
on it’s own it can cause
considerable problems for the
sufferer.
Spine infection
If a spine becomes infected
then back pain and warmth in
the infected area will occur.
Infection, depending on the
type can easily be
remedied.
Cauda Equina
Syndrome
Cauda Equina Syndrome is a
neurological condition that
causes pain in the back,
weakness in the legs and loss
of bowel and bladder control.
As Cauda Equina Syndrome is a
neurological condition rather
than a physical problem it
takes different treatments to
alleviate than the other
conditions.
The treatments available are
very effective at combating
back problems but the
treatments for more dangerous
conditions are not guaranteed
to work because if they are not
found in time, they may be in a
more progressive form,
rendering treatment
ineffective.
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Many people with back pain find it difficult to work,
drive or even carry out simple daily chores because the problem
with back pain is that it can be very intense and in some
circumstances the pain can increase just by breathing, with
basic movements becoming unbearable.
Back pain also affects close friends and family as it also
stops sufferers from being able to enjoy daily and weekly
nights out or nights in with a loved one, some sufferers find
it so painful that they are bedridden and feel like they cannot
move at all.
A lot of back pain sufferers can end up with emotional
problems too, like stress and depression as they feel the
affects on their bodies, growing debt and the prospect of
becoming dependant on others for basic necessities we take for
granted.
Up to thirty percent of people in the United Kingdom say
that their working environment is the reason for their back
pain due to bad posture or manual lifting that is carried out
in the work place. If you think this figure is high, you may be
surprised to learn that this is the average figure with the
European Union. Some countries have figures that are higher
than this, like Greece who has a figure of forty percent and
Germany who’s figure sits at thirty seven percent.
Back pain and the world around us
Back pain is the second most used reason for time off work
behind the common cold, with an estimate of nearly 5 million
days lost a year in the United Kingdom alone. This figure
equates to an average of eleven days per off per person a
year.
Did you know that the cost of back pain to employers on a
yearly basis has been roughly estimated at three hundred
million pounds ($565 million) in the United Kingdom?
Governments across Europe and around the world have created
health and safety departments to assess the risks of back pain
in every type of profession, and have created assessments and
rules for companies to follow to alleviate the risks involved.
By managing the risks government agencies hope to save a lot of
people the possibility of back pain and save companies a lot of
financial burden from lost days.
Back pain not only affects us physically it impacts on the
world around us emotionally and financially.
A lot of work needs to be put into managing the risks of
back pain so the possibilities of becoming one of the
statistics who suffer with back pain are less likely and
workers can be safe in the knowledge that every possibly
thought is going into their working environment.
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Understanding the human
back
The central nervous system
and the surrounding muscles and
tendons that allow us to
perform our everyday activities
are truly amazing. The human
back ranges from the top of the
buttocks to the back of the
neck. Many people across the
world suffer problems with back
pain, and complaints about back
pain are one of the most
commonly occurring reasons that
people take visits to the
doctor’s office. In this
article, we’ll help to explain
how the human back works so
that you can better understand
what to do should a problem
with back pain occur.
The vertebrae are a series
of bones that protect the
spinal cord from any damage.
There are four different types
of vertebrae in the back, and
they were named according to
their locations within the
body. The vertebrae that are
located within the neck and
head are known as cervical
vertebrae. There are seven
cervical vertebrae within the
human body, and they are
connected to the thoracic
vertebrae. There are 12
thoracic vertebrae which exist
underneath the cervical
vertebrae and make up much of
your upper back. Underneath the
thoracic vertebrae are the
lumbar vertebrae. There are
only 5 lumbar vertebrae, and
they make up the base of the
lower back. Below the lumbar
vertebrae are the sacral
vertebrae. Much different than
the other vertebrae, the sacral
vertebrae are actually fused
together. There are five of
these vertebrae. Between the
vertebrae are soft discs which
contain padding and nerves.
There are also several muscles
present within the back which
help it to move.
The most common reason that
someone is experiencing back
pain is a muscle strain. The
muscles of the back help us to
create motion and give the
spinal cord some flexibility,
and when they are strained,
intense pain can occur. This
can occur in many situations,
including car accidents, falls,
and heavy lifting. Luckily,
muscle strains usually heal
without treatment within a
period of roughly two
weeks.
Another common source of
back pain is known as a disc
herniation. This problem occurs
when one of the discs that are
located between the vertebrae
tears, allowing some of its
soft insides to protrude
outside of the disc. The
problem is usually caused by
wear and tear on the disc that
occurs over time, or an
instance of heavy lifting or
pivoting that causes the disc
to rupture. This problem can
occur within any disc that is
located within the spine, but
more often than not, it occurs
between cervical vertebrae or
lumbar vertebrae, with lumbar
disc herniations being the most
common. The problem causes back
pain and sometimes pain or
numbness within the legs, which
is known as sciatica.
Now that you know more about
the way that the human back
works, you can better be able
to tell the doctor what you
think you may be experiencing.
Muscle strains and disc
herniations are two of the most
commonly occurring back
problems, which is important to
remember should you experience
back pain.
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