Got an aching back? Suffer from occasional or constant nagging pain especially in your lower back? Well, there’s a chance your job might be the culprit.
One of the most important steps to protecting yourself from injury is to discover the cause of your problem, so have a read through these high-risk jobs, and find out what you can do to stay safe and healthy.
Worst Jobs for Back Pain
Construction
Building is hard and heavy work – work that can easily put too much stress on your lower back. Lifting, bending, carrying and pulling heavy objects can take a toll. And so can the repetitive movements which are also common in construction.
Farming and Gardening
Working the land requires heaps of bending over. Hour after hour, day after day spent stooping and perhaps digging or pulling weeds out of the ground can lead to severe back pain or overuse injuries.
Store Checkout Employees
Many checkout employees suffer from back pain. Their job requires them to stand for long periods of time and may involve lifting heavy boxes and cartons off the ground.
Dentists and Nurses
These jobs might sound white-collar, but did you know that a high percentage of nurses suffer from acute or chronic back pain? It’s usually from lifting, carrying, turning and holding patients. Dentists, on the other hand, have to work in awkward positions and bend over when they treat patients.
Waiters and Cooks
Similar to check out employees, waiters and cooks can end up with back pain or injuries thanks to the long hours they spend on their feet.
Childcare Professionals
Ever picked up a kid or tried to chase after a toddler? It’s exhausting, heavy work that, like many others on this list, involves bending down to work near the ground. Adding to this difficulty is that childcare workers might have to sit on tiny kid-sized chairs in classrooms.
Auto Mechanics
Mechanics can end up with back trouble because they have to work with their arms raised most of the time. Whether on their backs under a car or looking up at the underbelly of a raised vehicle, mechanics spend a lot of time with their hands above them. Bending over a popped hood doesn’t help either – nor does lifting heavy tools.
General Risks for Lower Back Pain at Work
As you may have gathered, there are some common factors that make a job tough on your lower back.
- Bending over at the waist
- Lifting heavy objects
- Making repetitive motions
- Holding awkward positions
- Standing and /or sitting for long periods
If your job involves any of those activities, keep an eye out for lower back pain, and try to protect yourself with some of the following guidelines.
Tips for Avoiding or Improving Lower Back Pain
Listen to your Body
Is a certain body posture, motion or exercise causing you pain? Stop, pay attention, and try to change or avoid or modify that situation and influence its effect. Also, discuss with your local physiotherapist what you can do to stay safe.
Rest (But Not Too Much)
If you’ve got pain, something as simple as a bit of rest and avoiding aggravating activity can give your body a chance to heal. Avoid resting for too long, and then returning to work though! Resting for more than a few days can let your muscles and joints start to stiffen and weaken.
Sit and Stand Safely
Good posture is critical – especially when you’re spending long hours in specific positions at work. Speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about your posture, and following routine posture assessment and exercise prescription learn how to improve or correct it.
Lift and Move Safely
Improper lifting and poor manual handling in the home or workplace is a known risk factor in causing injury. For the best advice specific to you, a physio is your best point of contact.
Consult a Physiotherapist
Just like with the causes of back pain, the solutions to back pain hit on a common theme – contacting a physiotherapist. If you really want to avoid back pain and injury, the best and most healthy advice will always come from a physiotherapist. A good physio will look at your body, your lifestyle, your habits and create a musculoskeletal profile and treatment plan that suits you specifically.
If you’re looking for a physiotherapist near Beechboro, Morley Physiotherapy is here for you. Operating out of Morley, we are nearby and always ready to help you feel well, move well, live well!