Lower Back Pain while you are at work
If you have low back pain while you are at work, it may interfere with your ability to carry out tasks, either because it prevents you from doing physical work, or the pain distracts you too much.
Talk with your employer about how your work situation could be improved to help with your pain. For example, perhaps you need a chair support, or perhaps your workstation needs adjusting to better accommodate your body. It’s possible that your employer will help you receive occupational health support.
You also have a duty to look after your health, and that includes your back.
- Make sure that your chair is adjusted so that your forearms are resting on the desk comfortably, with your elbows more or less at right angles.
- Vary the tasks you do so that you don’t get a repetitive strain back injury.
- Take regular breaks and walk around as much as you can.
- Occasionally get up and stretch so that your spine does not become compressed.
- Make sure you have a chair, or a chair attachment that supports your lower back area, and sit in a comfortable position.
- If you have any suggestions regarding how to improve your work conditions, impart them to your employer and health and safety representative.
There are several products on the market that can help you if you regularly suffer from lower back pain. For example, you can use lower back support belts, also known as lumbar support belts or back braces, to reduce some of the stress placed on your lower spine, but keep in mind that not all lumbar supports are created equal and there are multiple types to choose from.
Most commonly, there are two main types suggested for the lower back, namely rigid braces and adjustable lumbar belts. For optimal results, you can wear a belt that works on reducing the pain while you wear it, such as the Backrack belt.
Backrack Lumbar Support Belt
Lower back pain has different causes, and sometimes it is caused because of too much pressure being put on your ligaments, joints and muscles in the lumbar region of the spine.
Sometimes back muscles in the lumbar spine can go into spasms, and you experience pain and/or tenderness over an extended area. These spasms can sometimes pull your spine out of its natural shape, making is curve sideways, at least temporarily. This condition is called scoliosis. This puts even more strain on other ligaments, so exacerbating your existing problem.
Another cause can be attributed to your intervertebral discs that age and get stiff and worn as you grow older, so they are more easily damaged. The protective outer part of the disc is hard, while the inner nucleus is soft and jelly-like. If the outer part is damaged, it can burst if too much pressure is put on it. You may experience numbness or sensations of pins and needles, spasms and pain in your back.
Immediately reaching for painkillers is not a solution. Ultimately, they will do more damage to your health. Wearing a lumbar belt is a much better solution in this case, as it can help address the problem from its roots.
Author: Spinal Backrack
