Work Injury Prevention: The Role of Chiropractic Care in Preventing Work Injuries
By: Emily Williams, Guest Editorial
Everyone, no matter what profession, is vulnerable to workplace injuries. Workplace injuries encompass all injuries that can be sustained while on the job. The consequences of these injuries can be costly, time consuming, and in some cases, leave you unable to work. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor and Statistics, approximately 138,900 employees in New York suffered from a workplace injury in 2022. Office workers, retail staff, medical professionals, construction workers and more, all face unique risks of injury that can be prevented by chiropractic care. Being proactive about your health is important for your wellbeing and longevity.
Most Common Causes of Workplace Injuries
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents happen when there is an uneven, cluttered, or slick floor. These accidents can range in severity but can be more serious than one may think. Slip and fall accidents can result in life changing injuries such as spinal damage. They can also cause other medical issues like broken bones, torn ligaments/muscles, dislocations, and chronic pain. Recovering from these injuries can be costly, take time, and require you to make changes to your daily life.
Poor Ergonomics
Spending at least 40 hours per week at a desk can be costly to your health if ergonomics are not accounted for. The most common injuries from poor ergonomics are repetitive stress injuries, cumulative trauma disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders. These injuries can leave workers with ongoing neck pain, back pain, carpal tunnel, tendinitis and more.
Car Accidents
Car accidents that happen while performing job related tasks can leave you with debilitating injuries. The most common car accident injury is whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a powerful and sudden back and forth motion of the neck. A few symptoms include stiffness in the neck, headaches, limited range of motion, and pain in the upper back.
Lifting Heavy Objects
Lifting heavy objects without proper form or stretching is a common way workers injure themselves. Even those with proper lifting technique can be at risk of injury due to repetitive lifting. Workers can commonly “throw their back out,” meaning they strain their back muscles. This injury is often very uncomfortable and debilitating resulting in muscle tightness, limited ability to move, and muscle spasms.
Stress
Work related stress can cause tension headaches and lead workers to develop temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). Tension headaches can start slowly but escalate causing pain that feels like a tight band around your head. These headaches can also cause pain on the back of the head or neck. TMJ is caused by a habitually clenched jaw or teeth grinding. This can create a vicious cycle of poor sleep, more stress, and worsened TMJ symptoms. Symptoms of TMJ include jaw pain, aching around the ear, difficulty chewing, and lockjaw.
Preventing Work Injuries with Help from a Chiropractor
If you have ever suffered from a work injury, you know that preventing is always better than treating an injury. While chiropractic care can treat most work related injuries, consistent care should be an essential part of your health journey. Some ways that chiropractors can prevent work injuries include:
- Optimizing Musculoskeletal Function: Regular adjustments help relieve muscle tension, improve nerve function, improve blood flow, and align the spine. This can significantly reduce the risk of straining your back and neck while on the job.
- Personalized Advice: Chiropractors can give you advice tailored to your specific needs that you cannot get from an internet search. They can understand your lifestyle, job function, health history, and assess your body to identify ways for improvement.
- Correcting Posture: Chiropractors can teach you proper posture, make adjustments to improve posture, and can recommend tools to support proper posture such as lumbar support. This can prevent chronic neck and back pain while aiding in healthy aging.
- Strengthening: A chiropractor can assess you and recommend exercises that will strengthen specific muscles and joints. This can improve your job performance if you do a lot of physical labor and prevent injury.
Benefits of Long-Term Chiropractic Care
Long-term chiropractic care can be beneficial to everyone. Whether you have experienced a work injury before or want to prevent injury and improve your overall health, everyone has something to gain from regular chiropractic visits. Preventing work injuries means avoiding pain medication, invasive procedures, improving sleep, and living a higher quality life. The work injury chiropractors from BC + PT are ready to assist you on your journey to improve your health and prevent work injuries. Get started today by calling our office or filling out our contact form.