Back Pain in the News

According to a report published on July 30, 2007 by “Occupational Health and Safety” (OHS), nearly one fifth of medical expenditures in worker’s compensation in the U.S. were paid to treat workers with back problems.

Back pain is real. Back pain is common.

The conclusion published by OHS comes from an analysis done by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. WCRI analyzed data from both private insurers and self-insurers, looking at claims with an average of three years’ experience through March 2005.

Back Pain Claims

The back pain claims analyzed fell into one or more of these categories.

1. Low Back Pain: Low back pain that was non-specific accounted for nearly 1 of every 7 cases of reported back pain. Low back pain accounted for about ten percent of the money paid in worker’s compensation.

2. Disc and Radicular Back Pain: Back pain that radiates into the limbs is called radicular back pain. Back pain that involved disc conditions, along with radicular back pain, accounted for nearly one fifth of all medical costs in worker’s compensation. At the time, a typical disc back pain or radicular back pain case cost nearly $10,000.

3. Cervical Back Pain: Cervical back pain, involving the neck area of the spine, accounted for nearly five percent of back pain cases. Worker’s compensation for this type of back pain totaled ten percent of all medical payments.

You Are Not Alone

If you have back pain, you are not alone. The human back is involved in virtually every movement throughout the day. At night, it continues to be involved. It supports the body, keeping it balanced against the pull of gravity. Sports injuries, improper posture, work-related sprains and more can cause back pain.

Back Pain Relief

Physicians agree that many cases of back pain can be relieved through back pain exercises. New back pain can be prevented by regular, daily exercise aimed at strengthening the core muscles groups.

Elsewhere on this site, we provide information on back pain exercises. Click here to read one of those articles.

Posture for Back Pain Relief

Proper posture will keep your joints and bones aligned properly so that muscles can give peak performance. Proper posture will reduce pressure on your spine and reduce chances of back pain.

Proper posture is important while standing, sitting, or lying down. Ergonomically correct work areas are a help, but you will want to consciously think about your posture, and take action to sit, stand, and lie correctly.

Back Pain is in the news often, since it is the most common reason for visits to a physician’s office. You need not be a part of that news, however. Take the proper steps to get rid of current back pain and prevent future back pain.