Whether you spend your workdays lifting heavy boxes, standing in a shopping outlet, or seated at a desk, back pain can suddenly rear its head. In the past, those working in the manufacturing industry had the highest likelihood of experiencing chronic back pain. Those working in retail followed a close second. Now, however, with more people craning over computer screens and mobile phones for hours at a time, discomfort in the upper, lower, and mid-back, and chronic pen at the shoulders and neck are problems being seen throughout numerous industries and with increasing frequency.
There are actually many factors that go into determining whether or not your daily work activities will have a significant, negative impact on your back, the alignment of your spine, and the functionality of the surrounding muscle groups. Although chiropractic doctors regularly treat people who’ve developed chronic back pain as the result of car accidents and other high-impact events, they are also working with numerous patients who’ve stressed, strained, or pulled their backs as the result of ongoing work practices and unhealthy life habits. If you deal with chronic back pain and cannot seem to find a lasting and effective solution, receiving chiropractic care via a multi-pronged and individualized treatment plan may be your best bet.
Lifestyle Factors That Increase Your Risk Of Chronic Back Pain
Even in instances in which the source of chronic back pain is undeniably work-related, there are a number of lifestyle factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of developing this discomfort and the functional problems that ultimately cause it. For instance, you are probably more prone to back injuries than many of your peers if you:
- Lack adequate core muscle strength
- Use improper lifting techniques when moving heavy objects
- Are overweight
- Have had a back injury before
- Have spinal alignment issues that are forcing other muscles to overcompensate
Some people can work desk jobs for years on end without ever experiencing back or neck pain. More often than not, these are professionals who maintain good posture, get up frequently throughout the day to stretch, maintain healthy body weights, and use ergonomic work equipment. There are also manufacturing and construction workers who labor tirelessly in harsh conditions and for long hours, who never seem to be excessively stiff or sore as the result. If a person’s posture, general health, and spinal alignment are good, this individual’s back and entire body will have a far better able to stand up to the demands that are being placed upon it at work. Conversely, people who overeat, exercise infrequently, stretch rarely, and constantly hunch over, are basically poised to experience the dull aches and pains that come from neglect and misuse.
Chiropractic care can both alleviate chronic back pain and prevent it. By focusing on the alignment and health of the spine in advance of a work-related injury, it is possible for people to attain balance, ease of movement, and proper joint and muscle functioning. Post-injury, chiropractic therapies can release built-up tension and stress, promote better alignment, improve blood flow, stimulate natural healing, and more. One of the most important things for people to understand about back injuries in the workplace is that they no longer have to be lifting or impact-related. You can spend the entirety of your professional career seated comfortably at a desk and can sustain far greater damages to your neck and back than a person who works in a far more demanding and high-risk environment.
Most conventional methods for treating chronic back pain rely heavily upon pain medications. Whether sold over the counter or prescribed by a trusted physician, these products do not actively work to resolve discomfort at its source. Instead, they are designed to merely mute it. To obtain necessary and lasting relief, it is important to address the functional and structural problems that are responsible for this discomfort. In some instances, this is tense, tight muscles that have been overworked. In other cases, it might be a slipped or degenerating disk or even a pinched nerve. By actively working to identify and correct these underlying issues, chiropractors can promote relief that lasts. If you’re ready to reclaim the balanced, flexible, and ultimately comfortable body that you once had before submitting to the physical ravages of your job, we can definitely help. Call us now at 205-637-1363 to learn more about chiropractic therapies for both ameliorating and preventing chronic back pain.
