Many construction jobs involve lifting, carrying, climbing, reaching and turning, often on uneven terrain. Each turn can affect the body.
Given the often dangerous nature of the job and tight deadlines, it’s easy to keep your attention focused on the job in front of you rather than the signals your body is sending. You may register a sharp pain in your lower back, but keep moving for the sake of work.
Many construction professionals accept this push mentality as part of the industry, especially when it’s how they provide for their families. They cannot afford to take extended time off.
The problem is that the body rarely goes from 100% fine to severely injured in one jump, especially when it comes to the spinal system. There are usually smaller increments in between that alert you to a bigger problem. You may try to compensate for every twinge of pain, but that just adds an extra load somewhere else in the body, which is where you risk re-injury.
I see it over and over again. Construction professionals come to my clinic after months or years of pushing through the pain, looking for a solution that will provide some relief without taking away from the work they need to do to feed their families.
I had one patient, a foreman in his 50s, who had spent decades lifting materials, climbing ladders, and working long hours on hard concrete surfaces. When he first came in, he described his pain as normal wear and tear.
But his symptoms had gone far beyond the usual pain. She had severe pain shooting from her lower back down her leg and was starting to lose strength in one foot. What bothered him most was not the pain itself, but the fear that his body would begin to limit his ability to work. We moved forward with conservative care, including spinal decompression, a non-invasive therapy that gently stretches the spine. The patient was fitted with a special harness and placed on a computer-guided table. The bottom of the table moves while the top stays in place, which helped take pressure off his irritated sciatic nerve.
After several rounds of spinal decompression, along with additional supportive therapies, the stabbing pain in the leg became less frequent and less intense as the pressure on the lower spine was reduced, giving the agitated nerve a chance to calm down and recover. He was able to return to work without surgery and dramatically improve his daily function.
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Too young for back problems?
I also treated a construction worker in his thirties who ignored his recurring neck and shoulder pain for over a year because he felt “too young” to deal with anything serious.
When he came in, he was experiencing numbness and tingling in his hand and was struggling to hold tools properly. He told me that what finally pushed him to get help was the realization that he could no longer rely on his arm strength while working overhead, which can be incredibly dangerous.
Once we identified the underlying disc and nerve involvement, we refocused on conservative treatment to reduce nerve irritation and restore strength and mobility before her condition progressed further. He regained function in his hand and calmed the irritation in his neck and shoulders, and was able to return to work with better stability.
Both cases are good reminders that the key to avoiding recurring back problems is to pay attention to early warning signs. Surgery is sometimes unavoidable, but e.greversion can make all the difference.
Treat pain as information
>When we treat pain as information rather than disruption, we set ourselves up for success. Note that these include persistent low back or neck pain, shooting pain in the leg or arm (known as sciatica), numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, weakness or loss of grip strength, and pain that worsens with physical work.
Back injuries are a huge problem. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that more than one million workers suffer a back injury each year. Information is also available from the Centers for Disease Control.
If you have back pain, know that you have options, and many of them are less invasive than you might think. Conservative care can go a long way, especially when you act sooner rather than later. The goal is genuine relief that allows you to continue earning a living without making every turn a gamble that could lead to a debilitating injury. Don’t wait until the pain makes the decision for you.
Founder and Clinical Director of Spinatomy Spine & Disc Centers, located in Culver City, Van Nuys and Ontario, California, Dr. Rosenberg a (818) 901-1505.
