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back pain, cranial osteopathy, sports injuries and shoulder pain
 

 


 
 

Advice & Information Resource


Injuries at work

Occupational illness in Great Britain, affect 1.0 million people a year, the most common are Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and Upper limb disorders (ULDs) along with trips and falls.

Problems include low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts.

  Avoiding Back Pain At Work  
 
 Back pain can arise in many work situations. The  exact  cause is often unclear, but back pain is  more  common in tasks that involve:
  • Heavy manual labour and handling tasks
  • Manual handling in awkward places, like delivery work
  • Repetitive tasks, such as manual packing of goods
  • Sitting in front of a computer for a long period of time especially if your workstation is not correctly arranged or adjusted to suit your needs
  • Driving long distances or driving over rough ground, particularly if your seat is not, or cannot be, properly adjusted

AVOID BACK PAIN AT WORK

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY
Some of the activities that can harm your back include:
  • Repetitive or heavy lifting
  • Excessive bending and twisting
  • Exerting too much force
  • Poor working conditions
  • High job demands and lack of control
  • Not recognising or reporting symptoms and not doing anything about it
 
The do's and dont's of managing back pain and continuing work!
 DO'S:
DONT'S:
  • Do stay active as usual, if possible. But see your doctor/therapist if the pain persists or suddenly gets worse
  • Do take simple pain relief
  • Do speak to your manager or your safety representative and, if necessary, discuss what can be done to help you stay at work
  • Do find out about back pain
  • Do stay active and try to exercise
STAY ACTIVE TO AVOID BACK PAIN
  • Don't take to your bed and wait for the pain to go away. The sooner you get back to normal activity the better
  • Don't worry. Staying active is unlikely to damage your back
  • Don't avoid activity simply as a way of avoiding the pain - hurt does not always mean harm

There are times when you shouldn’t remain active. Don’t exercise if you are suffering from:-

Single-joint problems of the lower extremity

Inflammatory arthritis, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis

Obvious or diagnosed osteoarthritis

Post-fracture or post-dislocation cases

Post-surgical cases

Headache or vertigo as primary complaint

Musculoskeletal disorders awaiting surgery

Musculoskeletal disorders resulting from serious trauma

Serious co-existing morbidity





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