Job Related Injuries: Reporting and Recovery Tips

Any job-related back injury can significantly complicate an individual’s life. Dealing with the pain, trying to figure out how to get things done while in recovery, and workers’ compensation to protect injured individuals on the job, getting them healthy without worrying about losing money from missing work.

Job-Related Injury

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or O.S.H.A., a job-related injury is either contributed to or is caused by something in the work environment that injures an individual or exacerbates/worsens a previous injury. This is a general overview of the definition, with some exceptions. For example, being at the place of work as a general public citizen and not working when an injury happens will not be covered. If you are unsure whether a back injury is job-related, it’s better to be cautious and report the incident immediately.

Common Back Injuries

Back injuries are the most common job-related injuries. 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. 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 treatment and diagnostics related to the injury.

When A Back Injury Occurs at Work

When a back injury occurs at work, inform the employer as soon as possible. Do not be embarrassed or feel that seeking workers’ compensation is not a big deal. 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.

Letting an injury go untreated might not seem like a big deal at first, but months and years later, it can come back and be worse than when it first happened, causing greater damage, added medical costs, and procedures that the individual has to pay for out of their own pocket. 

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

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

If the injury is not immediate and progresses gradually, but 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 noninvasive, medication-free treatment can recover with chiropractic or physical therapy. Chiropractic doctors are experts in the spine and the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic treatment is safe and proven, and it can help relieve pain and restore function so that you can get back to work safely.

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Body Composition

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Resistance Exercise

Resistance workouts are made to stress the muscles, resulting in muscle gain. Resistance exercise makes the body adapt by growing the muscles more capable of handling 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 or compound exercises that increase muscle growth. However, a healthy balance between workouts and rest must be 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 and happens after weight training. The hormones signal to the muscle to repair and rebuild after workout sessions. GH is released in high quantities during sleep, so proper sleep is needed to help reach body composition goals. When nutrition, workouts, and hormonal effects are combined, muscle-building happens. Figuring out the right balance is essential for achieving 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://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152994300100016X)

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