Missing Work with Back Pain

Have you or someone you know missed work because of neck or back pain?

Each day our workplaces are full of people missing work with back pain. It’s a common occurrence that patients who come to the clinic say they’ve experienced.

In fact, along with those who miss work, there are many that have at least thought about missing work and/or that have suffered through a day of work in pain.

While there can be many reasons why that pain happens, in almost every case there is a disruption in the normal movement or position of the vertebrae in the spine.

With time this will result in inflammation and pain. And that’s never fun.

 

So what can we do?

Much of it comes back to lifestyle. To support your back and neck, it’s not much different than supporting your overall health:

• eat well; lots of vegetables and good sources of protein; avoid processed, refined, fried, and sugary foods; limit caffeine and alcohol
• sleep well; aim for a minimum of 7 hours, but 8 would be great!… some say 9 is divine
• move well; if you have a sedentary occupation, remind your body to move; if you have a physical occupation, do other activities away from work to relax the body and undo the damage; in either case, fitness is good for you, especially with retaining the goal of staying functional
• function well; this is where, regardless of how well we do the above 3 items, things can still go wrong; with use and time, parts of our body including our spine can start to sit and move wrong which can lead to problems; have your spine checked and adjusted to ensure all the parts keep sitting and moving well
• stress well; there are always challenges, so it’s good to have a way to manage or deal with them to keep your sanity, joy, happiness, and health; watch your work hours, where and how you work, what you do in your free time to recharge and have fun, and seek help when needed

After all of that, when it’s time to miss a day, then miss a day. Your health and your body are a priority and you may need a chance to heal and recover.

While missing work is one thing, missing out on other activities and events because of back and neck pain are also not good. Take good care of that spine so that all those life experiences keep turning out fine.

One of the biggest challenges with work is that it’s just that…it’s work! Whether it’s sedentary and repetitive or it’s manual and physical, our work can cause problems.

In either respect, it’s good to take breaks and remind your body that it can do more than what you use it for each day. Balancing your work week with hobbies and activities you do can be good for your body and your mind.

(Carpal tunnel syndrome is also common in workplaces. If you think you’re feeling symptoms of CTS, check out this article on reducing carpal tunnel syndrome in the office.)

Sedentary work…

Especially if your work is sedentary, the research shows that it’s imperative that a person interrupt what they’re doing at a regular frequency. This helps to ensure that the daily use does not cause habits and patterns that are limiting your healthy function over time.

While exercise, fitness, recreational play, yoga, running, etc. can all have a benefit, those activities 4 or 5 times a week for an hour or two may not be enough to negate the effects of a 40 to 60 hour work week. Interjecting breaks, rest, stretching, bursts of activity into the regular work day is also required.

Physical work…

A common comment from many who work more active jobs is that they don’t need to exercise because their work is more physical. This is similar to an athlete saying they don’t need to cross-train to prevent injuries because they’re already so active in their sport.

Stretching out over used muscles while strengthening under used muscles and keeping all parts fit is a strategy that would benefit most people looking to avoid back pain and neck pain from their work.

Further prevention can be found in many healthcare and therapy settings. Massage therapy helps to loosen overworked muscles and restore balance from asymmetrical activities like using the mouse, operating equipment and tools, and even poor posture. Chiropractic care does the same for the joints and can directly influence the habits, both good and bad, that our nervous system’s create.

Back pain and neck pain that accumulate over time are often strong habits that require attention in order to release a person from stuck and limited body patterns of movement.

There are many options to help with back pain and neck pain found from our workplace activities. While there is much a person can do on their own to improve and avoid these aches and problems from occurring, often the help of a massage therapist or chiropractor can go a long way to help make work less painful.

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Our clinic, with a Toronto Chiropractor, to the best of our ability, strives to provide convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. We will not use any unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies in helping you get the care and results you’re looking for.

Same day appointments are available for neck pain treatment, back pain treatment, and headache treatment, as well as other health related concerns, problems, accidents, and injuries. Walk-ins are welcome.

Toronto Neck and Back Pain Clinic
1849 Yonge Street #412 Toronto ON M4S1Y2
www.DKChiroBlog.com
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Open:
Mon      8-10,      12-1,      3-6
Tue       8-10,      12-1
Wed                                   3-6
Thu       8-10,      12-1,      3-6
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Walk-Ins Welcome or To Make an Appointment,
Call 416-960-9355
Or visit www.torontoneckandbackpain.com