What Can Happen At Work?

Global statistics about work injuries and sicknesses are increasing, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). In the 17th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (2005), figures showed an increase of 10 % over the last three years, that would be 2.2 million workers who experienced fatal work-related injuries.

Although globally statistics have increased, there are countries where work injuries have decreased. Industrialized countries have lesser figures, while Asian countries showed an increase in the number of accidents.

Most Common Injuries

Back strains and pains are the most common work injuries reported. Out of the reported number of injuries, it accounts for about 43 percent. Aside from back pains, sprains, bruises, cuts, lacerations and fractures are also the most common accidents that could happen at work.

Here is the list of the most common work injuries and who are at risk.

• Back injuries – those who work in the office, drivers and stay in one position over long periods of time and those who maintain bad posture while working are at risk.
• Head injuries – construction workers are more vulnerable to this kind of injury.
• Burns – electricians, construction workers and kitchen staff have higher risks of experiencing this since they may deal with live wires and fire.
• Vision problems – eye strain, headache and vision blurring can happen to most employees who work with computers over long periods of time
• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) – workers who are involved in repetitive motions and may hurt their wrists, arms, shoulders and neck.

If the working environment is worse, workers can have work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). These work injuries have huge impact on the worker’s productivity, can impair the worker permanently or temporarily, and employers would encounter bigger worker compensation cost. WMSD can affect those workers who frequently exert pressure on their hands, lift heavy objects, push, pull or carry heavy objects, stay in awkward posture, and experience continuous vibrations.

Preventive Measures

There are things that you can do on your own to avoid any injuries that you incur while working. Many chiropractors have encountered a lot of problems with shoulders, back and the carpal tunnel. These injuries can happen if repetitive actions are being done or if we stay in a prolonged position for long periods of time.

Work injuries can also arise from poor posture and stiffness. It can also put so much stress on the spine and eventually lead to neck and back problems. When ignored and disregarded, work injuries can even lead to serious problems like bone and joint degeneration.

Here are some simple tips that can help prevent work injuries:

• If you are staying or working in one position, like sitting in front of a computer, over long periods, it would be best to take breaks. Maximize these breaks to stretch and move around.
• Be cautious of your posture. You can talk to a chiropractor on how you can be sure that you are working with a correct posture.
• Exercise and strengthen your muscles. You do not have to go to the gym to keep in shape, there are exercise that you can do while enjoying the outdoors like brisk walking, swimming, cycling and similar sports. Not only will exercising strengthen your muscles, it would also help you fight off obesity.
• You can make some adjustments in your workspace to make sure that they encourage good posture and easy movements.

Chiropractic Treatment

There are many studies pointing the benefits of getting chiropractic treatment to deal with different kinds of pains, both chronic and acute. Chiropractors also offer long term and immediate pain relief to their patients, which is why a lot of people, nowadays, are visiting chiropractic clinics.

Chiropractors can use different kinds of treatments to deal with work injuries. They could make spinal adjustments to align the part of the spine which has been misaligned. Spinal manipulation or adjustment are not only applicable in treating work injuries like back pain and neck pain, it can even be used for carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

Trigger point therapy can also be used to help a work-injured worker to recover fast. In this therapy, there are trigger points in the body that when applied with pressure can relieve the pain. Manual pressure can be applied or sometimes injections are done in the pressure point.

Work injuries can be brought about by periods of immobility. To increase blood circulation in the affected area, chiropractors also use hot and cold therapy. Actually this therapy is not only used for work injuries, but is frequently used in sports related injuries. Hot and cold treatment can lower down the swelling and at the same time can relieve the pain.