According to the Academy of Pain Medicine, almost thirteen percent of the total workforce population experienced a loss of productive time during a two-week work period, due to a common pain condition. Unfortunately, back pain is part of that thirteen percent. To prevent a loss of productive time from their employees, many organizations provide training to their staff on the importance of back safety as well as educating their employees on basic back anatomy and safe lifting techniques.
There are a number of factors that may contribute to back pain at work. The most popular include:
- Force: Lifting or moving heavy objects can cause injury when exerting too much force on one’s back.
- Repetition: Repeating bad movement habits can eventually lead to injury or muscle fatigue.
- Posture: Slouching exaggerates your back’s natural curves, which can lead to muscle fatigue and injury
The Mayo Clinic suggests taking the following steps to prevent back pain and injury at work:
- Include physical activity in your daily routine
- Pay attention to posture
- Life properly
- Modify repetitive tasks
- Listen to your body
An employer can only provide the training, but it is up to you to make the lifestyle adjustments needed to avoid back pain at work.