What Employers Need to Know About Back Pain | The Spine Institute

Chronic back pain is one of the most common medical complaints, say the spine surgeons Los Angeles, in the developed world, but that doesn't mean that people always understand it. In particular, people who suffer from it can sometimes run into trouble in the workplace due to misunderstandings. Fortunately, employers who do understand the nature of back pain can easily adjust to meet the medical needs of their employees to boost their comfort and productivity.

Accommodations Help

People who work in an office spend most of their day sitting, which can aggravate chronic back pain. That leads to even more discomfort, which causes a distraction that leads to inferior performance in the workplace and lower morale. Fortunately, even minor accommodations can help to alleviate the problem.

Special chairs, including kneeling chairs, balance stools, or special ergonomic chairs can eliminate the posture problems that make the pain worse. Alternatively, replacing the standard desk with a stand-up desk can work just as well. Installing the furniture does require a small initial investment, but most budgets can absorb it fairly easily and back pain is so common that the equipment can easily be passed on to a new user if the employee with back pain retires.

It Can Come and Go

Back pain tends to fade away and then suddenly return rather than being a constant companion. People can act completely healthy on a good day but suffer from almost crippling pain the next. It's important to make sure that employers and coworkers don't mistake a single good day for an end to the problem. That can lead them to assign tasks that are fine for a healthy individual but can cause pain or damage to someone who suffers from back pain. It can also lead to unrealistic expectations for the future. Fortunately, most people who have suffered from a chronic problem can relate to this, so a simple reminder is often all that it takes to set them straight.

It Causes More Than Pain

Pain is bad on its own, but chronic back pain can have a number of side effects. Most notably, it often leads to sleep deprivation because people have trouble relaxing while they are in pain. Employers can help their employees with back pain by allowing them to take a quick nap during a break. Coworkers should also try to keep this in mind and avoid taking offense when individuals with back pain turn down late night invitation in favor of trying to get some sleep.

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