You injure your back trying to lift something heavy at work. At first, it doesn’t seem all that bad, and you assume the pain will go away after a day or two. You use ice packs and heating packs, and you avoid lifting again.
But the pain does not go away. You feel all right when you’re moving around, but sitting causes serious pain, to the point that it’s hard to get out of the chair. Could the act of simply sitting at your desk make your pain worse?
The link between back pain and posture
This certainly could be a serious issue, and back pain can even be caused by sitting in the wrong position. If you’re hunched forward at all, that can really cause a lot of issues, and the cumulative effect of doing this for 40 hours per week can be incredible.
This is why it’s important to sit up straight, to have an ergonomic chair, and to take breaks to get up and move around. It may also help if you do specific stretches and exercises to strengthen your back.
If you’re already injured from an on-the-job activity, though, sitting may just aggravate it so much that you feel you’ll never get past it. This can lead to medical bills as you seek painkillers or try to figure out a solution with a chiropractor. It can also cause you to feel unable to do physical hobbies or play with your kids. You may miss time at work and the paychecks that go with it.
All of this can grow very expensive, and it all stems from that workplace injury. Make sure you know what rights you have to workers’ compensation and other benefits.
