Managing and Preventing Back Pain and Injuries
Health and safety go hand in hand. That's why LifeSteps includes educational resources and tools to help you and your family manage and prevent a particularly common, costly and painful problem – low back pain, which can result from injuries and a variety of health conditions.
Whatever the cause, nearly everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities or recreation. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. The good news is that low back pain can often be avoided or improved – and LifeSteps can show you how.
When we use tools or equipment that don't fit, or use ineffective posture and motions, we can waste our efforts, become more easily fatigued and decrease performance. Eventually, this can cause discomfort or pain and, if repeated long enough or forceful enough, can cause or aggravate chronic conditions known as "repetitive motion disorders" or "musculoskeletal disorders."
Things to know about back pain
Many of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives. If you do, chances are your low back pain will get better with simple treatment in 4-6 weeks or less. Just keep the following points in mind:
- If you have an episode of low back pain, ongoing physical activity will not damage your spine. In fact, recovery usually occurs sooner when your treatment plan includes a schedule for increasing activity and exercise. Check with your doctor to find out what's best for you, and call a health coach to discuss ways to stay active.
- If the pain is severe, one or two days of bed rest may be necessary before you can get up and move around. Beyond that, prolonged rest and inactivity have actually been shown to prolong symptoms and delay recovery.
- During an acute episode of low back pain, over the counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®), ibuprofen (Advil®) and naproxen (Aleve®) may help to relieve symptoms. For more severe episodes, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain medications, but they should be taken for only short periods of time.
Back pain "red flags"
If an episode of low back pain is accompanied by any of the following "red flag" symptoms, you should seek immediate medical advice from your primary care physician or a doctor who specializes in the treatment of spinal conditions.
- Severe pain as the result of a motor vehicle accident, fall from a height or other injury.
- History of cancer
- Recent symptoms such as fever, chills or unexplained weight loss
- Pain that worsens at night or when resting while lying on your back
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Weakness or loss of sensation in the legs or groin area.
Get back to basics
The best way to care for your back and avoid pain and injury is to stay in good physical condition – especially if you have had episodes of low back pain in the past. Almost any form of physical activity is good for your back. Walking, running, swimming, biking, skiing, skating, golf, tennis, yoga, Pilates and health club activities - even taking the stairs instead of using escalators and elevators - can help strengthen your back. The key is to find an activity that you enjoy so you're more likely to do it regularly.
To learn more, visit LifeSteps Online on our company-wide portal at http://iTrane from work, or www.lifesteps4trane.com from home or anywhere you have Internet access.
LifeSteps health coaching is provided by Health Dialog®, a third-party provider of services to Trane's group health benefit plans, as part of the LifeSteps program for Trane employees and their families. Any personal health information provided to a health coach is protected by federal and state privacy laws and will not be disclosed to Trane except under limited circumstances as authorized by law for administration of the company's group health plans.