It’s not just freight handlers who experience back injuries while on the job. Because a serious back injury can occur simply by bending the wrong way, a wide variety of workers are injured every year. In fact, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration tells us that the most common workplace injury in America is a back injury. Office workers to bus drivers to construction workers to anyone else who lifts, twists, pulls, or simply moves the “wrong” way can find themselves in a great deal of pain.
What can they do to alleviate that pain? Sometimes it’s as simple as taking an anti-inflammatory, but for many others, it requires more serious treatment. However, it rarely requires surgery. A chiropractic Gaithersburg MD trusts can provide the proper medical care that offers the best chance for a full recovery or improved condition. This is true for most common back injuries such as:
- Herniated, slipped, or bulging discs. If a disc is damaged or slips out of place, the vertebra bone that rests on it loses the “shock absorber” action of the disc. For most people, this is extremely painful.
- Sprain or strain of the lower back. This is usually a less serious injury that with physical therapy and pain medication can be treated very successfully. A back injury of this type is common because it affects a wide variety of employees. If someone is active, sits, or stands for long periods of time, lower back pain can result.
- Lumbar spine disease. Also known as degenerative disc disease, though it’s caused over time and is often attributed to aging, when a work accident or job causes that condition to worsen or accelerate, a workers compensation claim may be appropriate.
- Vertebrae fracture. This is typically a more serious back injury and is common among victims of car accidents or workplace accidents involving heavy machinery. Substantial medical treatments are often necessary.
- Pinched nerve. This normally occurs when a nerve is pressed upon, or pinched, by a disc. The resulting pain can be extreme and can affect the legs, neck, and back.
Regardless of what type of back injury you are suffering from, in order to receive workers compensation you must prove that it happened as a result of your job. This can be done in several ways, all of which are familiar to an experienced workers comp lawyer. Medical treatment records are a primary source of documentation, but there are additional methods as well. The cause of some injuries are harder to prove than others, which is why it’s important to consult a workers compensation lawyer as soon as possible.
A delay in contacting a workers comp attorney can result in the loss of evidence critical to your claim. Also keep in mind that if you are suffering from a preexisting back injury, that does not necessarily preclude you from being eligible for workers compensation. If you have reason to believe your condition worsened as a direct result of your job, you may qualify for benefits. Talk to a personal injury lawyer to learn more about your legal options.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Pain & Arthritis Relief Center for their insight into back pain injuries.
