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Back at Work - Back Pain Basics
The Basics
Fortunately, the vast majority of back pain has no serious cause. And back pain doesn't necessarily mean you have an injury. Most back pain results from the back's muscles, ligaments, and joints not moving the way they should.
How you handle back pain plays a larger role in your recovery than an exact diagnosis or medical treatment.
Generally, resting for more than a day or two does not help. The good news is that moving and staying active does.
If you do experience severe pain, find out when to see your doctor or your health care professional and how you can help control your pain.
Back Facts
- People who cope best with back pain are those that stay active.
- When it comes to back pain, hurt does not necessarily mean harm.
- Aging of the back begins before 30 for most people.
- Smokers are more likely to get back pain.
- People with previous back pain are likely to get it again within a couple of years.
- The longer you stay off work due to a back injury, the less likely you are to return to work.
- Even if your aches and pains last for a long time, it doesn't mean you have a serious injury. Back pain settles eventually, but we can't predict exactly when.
- Back pain usually subsides without any medical treatment in four to six weeks.
Causes of Back Pain
Doctors and other health care providers cannot always pinpoint the exact cause of a patients' back pain.
However, a doctor or health care provider can rule out the relatively rare and serious causes of low back pain. This can ease your stress and provide some comfort as you return to your normal activities.
Keep in mind that most simple back strains do not cause lasting damage to your spine. In fact it is surprisingly difficult to damage your spine, and only a few people with back pain actually have a "slipped disc" or "pinched nerve".
Some common causes of stress and strain on the spine are:
- Lifting or exerting incorrectly
- Slouching in chairs
- Driving in a hunched position
- Poor posture
- Sleeping on a sagging mattress
- Being unfit or carrying excess weight
Back Pain Statistics
- From 2000 to 2004 WorkSafeBC (Workers' Compensation Board) received over 107,000 claims for back strains.
- Back strains account for just over 25% of all WorkSafeBC (Workers' Compensation Board) claims.
- Roughly 30% to 40% of all workplace absences in Canada are due to back pain.
- Back injuries may be caused by a single instance of overexertion or develop as a result of repeated motion over time. Over two-thirds of back injuries are a result of overexertion.
- 60% to 90% of the population will experience low back pain in their lifetime.
- More than 90% of lower back pain cases have no specific cause (such as infection, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc.). In these cases the pain will usually subside without treatment in four to six weeks.
- In the health care industry, injuries due to patient handling (lifting, transferring, or repositioning) account for about 35% of all accepted time loss claims and for about 40% of claim costs.
Related Sites
- Working Backs Scotland Online
- BBC - Medical conditions: The Back Pain Guide
- Division of Safety, Office of Research Services, National Institutes of Health - Maintain a healthy back
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Back pain information page
- Back pain and neck pain patient information, by Spine-health
- WebMD Health - Low back pain
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