Coping With Your Job While Managing Back Pain
Debilitating pain costs the US hundreds of billions annually, making it a significant issue for employers and employees. But many employees work through the pain; about 38% of musculoskeletal disorders in workers involve the back. If you have to work while managing back pain, practical tips, including interventional pain management, help you cope.
Use Ergonomic Workstations
Your workstation contributes greatly to whether or not you develop back pain and how well you cope with it. If you don’t already have one, switching to an ergonomic workstation will improve your posture and ease your physical exertion. You can swap stances, relax and change positions while working. Use an ergonomic/orthopedic work chair with lumbar support to improve your sitting posture and reduce pain.
Alternate Tasks
Specific repetitive tasks may strain your back or source of pain, causing irritation and swelling. Try to modify or alternate your functions that require different postures. Instead of lifting or sitting all day, for example, try to perform other tasks that require you to sit or move more so you have a variety of postures during the day. You can also perform exercises that improve blood flow, especially during interventional pain management, and ease the pain while working.
Decline Strenuous Tasks
If you have to be at work despite evidence of back pain, you should decline strenuous tasks that discomfort your back and worsen the pain. Specific duties may not be strenuous when you’re fully fit, but working through back pain may be challenging. You should quickly get this exemption if you have received a medical report.
Use Proper Posture
Poor posture causes and worsens back pain and develops slowly over time. Correcting your posture requires focus and care and is crucial to coping at work with back pain. Use proper sitting, walking, and lifting posture always.
Prioritize Your Health
Ensure to rest your body enough and take other steps to keep healthy. Interventional pain management is better when you are in good health and gives you more chances of healing from back pain.
Ensure to carefully follow your pain doctor’s instructions as you worth and heal. Meanwhile, check out this article on common work-from-home pains and aches. You can learn about the common aches when working long hours in front of a computer at home and tips on how to deal with these issues.