Battling Back Pain

If your employees suffer from back pain, it’s a safe bet that their pain may become yours, too.

Even if you’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that your staff members work in comfort, it might not be enough. Ergonomics are important, but they don’t solve everything.

They don’t account for pre-existing back problems, for instance, or fully address the strains of bending and stretching that may occur either inside or outside of the office.

If a worker sustains a back injury while on his own time, he brings that pain to work with him. There it becomes, at best, a dull aching nuisance. At worst, it prevents him from doing his job effectively.

According to the Mayo Clinic, many instances of back pain are caused by a combination of factors.

While hereditary back problems can’t be avoided, some causes of that aching back can be corrected.

If back pain is caused or worsened by being overweight, being out of shape in general, or not having sufficient flexibility, an examination (and possibly an overhaul) of lifestyle factors is in order.

There are steps you can take (and share with your employees) to prevent back pain or injury and to mitigate or ease existing back pain.

The Mayo Clinic offers these tips: