Back injuries are incredibly common. In fact, some sources say that they account for roughly a quarter of all workplace injuries that take place in a given year. Some back injuries can be very severe and may leave people with limited mobility for the rest of their lives.
It’s also important to note that back injuries can happen in almost any industry. Nurses can suffer from them, as can construction workers or even office workers. That’s why it’s so important to know how these injuries happen so that you can avoid them, no matter what job you have.
The top 5 reasons
According to spine specialists, below are the top five reasons that people suffer back injuries on the job:
- Carrying something that is too heavy for one person to carry alone.
- Engaging in the same sort of repetitive motion consistently.
- Working for a prolonged period without changing your posture at all.
- Bending when picking up heavy items, rather than using your legs.
- Twisting awkwardly, especially as a result of a trip or another unexpected action.
Part of the reason that back injuries are so common is that they happen in all of these different ways. One person may get injured in a serious fall while carrying a heavy item, while another may simply be injured by sitting in the same desk chair every day. Additionally, some injuries are cumulative, so they build up over time and you don’t have a single injury event that stands out.
All of these injuries can have very serious ramifications, and those who have been hurt need to know about all the options they have to seek workers’ compensation.