Which Jobs Are Most Often Associated With Back Pain?

BACK PAIN AND THE WORK PLACE

Back pain is particularly common in adults who are of a working age. It has  been estimated by the health and safety executive (the government body responsible for safety in the work place) that between 2001 and 2002, millions of working days were lost as a result of musculoskeletal disorders. 

The majority of these were back pain that was caused or made worse by work. On average, each person with back pain was absent from work for an estimated 18.9 days during this 12 month period. About 13% of unemployed people cite back pain as the reason they are without a job

WHICH JOBS ARE MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH BACK PAIN?

Back pain can arise in many work situations, but certain occupations carry a greater risk then others. These include:

·        Heavy manual labouring

·        Heavy equipment operating

·        Nursing

·        Delivery work

·        Removal work

·        Manual packing of goods

·        Office work involving sitting at a computer station.

In general, jobs that involve heavy lifting, handling bulky loads in awkward places, handling vibrating equipment like pneumatic drills or driving long distances over rough ground, can all make back pain worse. Office jobs can also aggravate back pain. 

Spending all day sitting at a badly adjusted workstation performing a repetitive task like typing or answering the phone,can make the problem worse. A number of exercises can be performed whilst you sit at your desk, which can minimize the chances of suffering from back pain.

WORK RELATED TASKS THAT CAN AGGRAVATE 

BACK PAIN BACK AGGRAVATTOR 

• Lifting heavy objects Lifting awkward or  bulky objects 
• Repetitive actions 
• Stretching, twisting,  reaching 
• Cold temperatures 
• Vibration 
• Sitting comfortably

WORKERS AT HIGH RISK 

• Factory workers,
• Removal men, 
• Nurses, 
• Typists, 
• Telephones Mechanics, 
• Fishermen Driller, 
• Train or bus drivers,     
• Supermarket cashiers.