“As of 1989 the National Institute of Handicap Research (NIHR) estimated that every year 560,000 workers sustain injury or illness which disables them for over 5 month. Half of these never return to work.”
Work Comp is the classification of an injury that occurs to an employee during the course of their normal work duties. There is really no one particular type of injury, though the most common is to the lower back. Just as there is no one particular type of injury there is also no one cause of work injury. Causes could include; slipping/fall, lifting, computer work, repetitive motions and even car accidents.
There are 2 main goals when treating work injuries; eliminating the patient’s pain and returning the patient back to work ASAP. It is also important to educate the patient in proper mechanics to help prevent the injury from reoccurring, if possible. We all know your body is your livelihood and it is important to protect it from injury/re-injury.
As stated above the low back is the most common area to be injured, but symptoms can develop in any area of the body. Much depends on the employee’s work duties and the mechanism of injury. Other work injuries that chiropractors treat include knee, hip, joint injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and a variety of injuries unique to construction workers and firefighters. While many workplace accidents can turn into the types of work injuries that cause long term pain and damage, visiting a chiropractor is the best way to help relieve the pain. Even the mildest injury can sometimes cause permanent disability.
How Can Chiropractic Help
Assuming the injury involves the spine it is important to seek out the care of a Doctor of Chiropractic. Muscles provide motion to the spine as well as some support, while the ligaments provide support to the spine. Certain injuries can cause stretching or tearing of these tissues resulting in localized or diffused symptoms. Once this occurs, their ability to perform their designated functions is going to be impaired. Muscles and ligaments, when healthy, keep the spinal bones (vertebras) in proper alignment.
If the muscles and ligaments are “loose” because they are stretched, the vertebras can now slip out of proper alignment. This can possibly result in; increased pain around the vertebra, irritation to the disc, pinching of a nerve, decreased motion and advanced arthritis. Chiropractors restore proper alignment of the spinal bones by performing a gentle adjustment to the affected area. Also, chiropractors often utilize massage therapy, physiotherapies, rehabilitation therapy and nutrition to speed the healing process and reduce pain to the damaged area.