Is work the cause of your back pain?

37% of low back pain worldwide may be attributed to work-related risk factors.  This is a statistic I came across in the Best Practice & Research: Clinical Rheumatology Journal. This means that if you have or ever had low back pain, there is a greater than one-third chance it could be related to something at work.  Many people worry when their back “goes out” on them, hoping that it isn’t something more serious. Schaafsma et. al (2015) report that 90% of low back pain is from an unknown cause.  This means most back pain can be self-limiting, but with such a high number, it is likely that people will experience back pain more than once in their life.

In 2010. the Global Burden of Diseases found that low back pain was the 6th highest burden and caused the most disability globally.  Considering that statistic and the percentage of pain we know to come from the workplace - where people spend the majority of their time – it seems like you are doomed to have low back pain!

Luckily, Schaafsma and colleagues (2015) began studying ergonomics and intervention in the workplace to help decrease the episodes of back pain one might experience.  They found that physical exercise to improve muscle strength is recommended for low back pain. The goal is to strengthen abdominal and back muscles, as well as increase the endurance of these muscles.

However, the article states that educational programs helping to decrease low back pain in the workplace has to establish a standardized program.  The authors mention that there are many programs, which can make it difficult to find the most effective one overall. The good news is that adding a strengthening program to your day to help with low back and core strength can not only improve your back pain but decrease episodes of low back pain.

At Stumpff Chiropractic, we have many tools to help decrease back pain and the resources to provide proper exercises to help strengthen and support your low back.  We incorporate passive treatments into chiropractic adjustments and manual therapy to help decrease muscle spasm and allow proper joint movement. Then we’ll follow those up with active care exercises using resistance bands, body weight and postural support to start strengthening and keeping you pain free!

Stumpff Chiropractic is located conveniently in Plantation, FL and we are happy to answer any questions.  Give us a call at 954-368-4054 or visit our website at www.stumpffchiro.com

Schaafsma, F.G., Anema, J.R., & Van Der Beek, A.J. (2015). Back pain: 
Prevention and management in the workplace. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 29(3);483-494.