Job-Related Injury: Navigating Recovery and Support

Any job-related back injury can significantly complicate an individual’s life. Dealing with pain, figuring out how to get things done while recovering, and navigating workers’ compensation can protect injured workers and help them recover without the stress of worrying about losing money from missed work.

Job-Related Injury

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.), a job-related injury is one that injures an individual or worsens a pre-existing injury due to factors in the work environment. This is a general overview of the definition, and there are some exceptions. For example, being at the workplace as a general public citizen and not working when an injury happens will not be covered. If you’re unsure whether a back injury is job-related, it’s best to be cautious and report the incident as soon as it occurs.

Common Back Injuries

Back injuries are the most common type of job-related injury. Back injuries are the number one reason individuals cannot work, whether they hurt their back at home or on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nearly 40% of all musculoskeletal injuries that resulted in lost workdays were because of back injuries. The most common back injuries include:

• Sprains
• Strains
• Herniated Discs
• Whiplash
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Vertebral Fractures

Compensation

Every state’s workers’ compensation program is different; however, the basic components are the same throughout. This means that if a workers’ compensation claim is approved and an individual cannot work because of their injury, they can expect to receive a regular base salary during treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery. Individuals also continue to receive medical coverage through the company, while the workers’ compensation fund should pay for injury-related treatment and diagnostics.

When A Back Injury Occurs at Work

If you have a back injury at work, inform your employer as soon as possible. Don’t be embarrassed or feel like it is not a big deal to seek workers’ compensation. It is an insurance program for both the individual and the employer. An employer pays into the state’s workers’ compensation program for limited liability when employees get injured. Individuals don’t pay for the program, but it protects them if something happens.

An injury may not seem like much at first, but months or years later it can return worse than before, causing greater damage, added medical costs, and procedures the individual has to pay out of pocket. 

Once an individual knows they have a back injury, they should seek treatment as soon as possible to prevent the injury from worsening or creating new ones and to develop a treatment, rehabilitation, and strengthening program. If an individual needs emergency care, tell the doctors about the work injury and precisely what happened. Emergency medical care should be sought when:

• There is a loss of function in any of the limbs.
• There is persistent numbness with the back pain.
• Nausea, dizziness, or vomiting after the injury.
• Fever with back pain.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Loss of bowel or bladder control.

If the injury is not immediate and progresses gradually, but you suspect that it is from work, it should be reported and examined by a medical professional.

Treatment

Proper treatment for a back injury depends on its severity. Those who prefer non-invasive, medication-free treatment are able to recover with chiropractic or physical therapy. Chiropractic doctors are experts in the spine and the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic treatment is safe, proven, and can help relieve pain and restore function so you can get back to work safely.

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Resistance Exercise

These workouts are designed to stress the muscles, resulting in muscle gain. This type of exercise makes the body adapt by growing muscles to handle intense forces without strain. The stress of resistance exercise causes the muscle fibers to tear at the cellular level. Then, special muscle cells, known as satellite cells, jump into action to repair, rebuild, and grow the muscle. These exercises include high-intensity workouts and compound movements that promote muscle growth. However, a healthy balance between workouts and rest is needed to support healthy hormone levels and maximize muscle gain.

Hormones

Three primary hormones stimulate muscle hypertrophy. They are:

• Insulin-like growth factor 1 IGF-1
• Growth hormone GH
• Testosterone

Muscle protein synthesis is a critical process in muscle hypertrophy that occurs after weight training. The hormones signal to the muscle to repair and rebuild after workout sessions. GH is released in high quantities during sleep, which is why proper sleep is needed to help reach body composition goals. When you combine nutrition, workouts, and hormonal effects, muscle-building happens. Figuring out the right balance is essential for reaching health goals.

References

Burton, A. K., and E. Erg. “Back injury and work loss.” Biomechanical and psychosocial influences.” Spine vol. 22, 21 (1997): 2575-80. doi:10.1097/00007632-199711010-00021

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.5

https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/back-injuries-prominent-in-work-related-musculoskeletal-disorder-cases-in-2016.htm

Marjorie L. Baldwin, Pierre Côté, John W. Frank, William G. Johnson, Cost-effectiveness studies of medical and chiropractic care for occupational low back pain: a critical review of the literature, The Spine Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2001, Pages 138-147, ISSN 1529-9430, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1529-9430(01)00016-X. (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1529-9430(01)00016-X.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152994300100016X)

Randall, Sara. “1. Avoiding back injury.” The Practicing Midwife vol. 17, 11 (2014): 10, 12-4.