The problem is that the body rarely goes from 100% fine to critically injured in a single jump, especially when it comes to the spinal system. There are typically smaller increments in between that are alerting you to a larger issue. You might try to compensate for each twinge of pain, but that only adds an extra load somewhere else in the body, which is where you run the risk of repeat injuries. 

I see this time and time again. Construction professionals come to my clinic after months or years of pushing through the pain, looking for a solution that offers some relief without taking them out of 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 moved well beyond routine soreness. He had severe pain shooting from his lower back into his leg, and he was beginning to lose strength in one foot. What bothered him most was not the pain itself, but the fear that his body was starting to limit his ability to work. We moved forward with conservative care, including spinal decompression, a noninvasive therapy that gently stretches the spine. The patient was fitted with a special harness and placed on a computer-guided table. The lower part of the table moves while the upper part stays in place, which helped to take pressure off his irritated sciatic nerve.

After multiple rounds of spinal decompression, coupled with additional supportive therapies, the shooting pain down his leg became less frequent and less intense as the pressure on his lower spine eased, giving the agitated nerve a chance to calm down and recover. He was able to return to work without surgery and drastically improve his daily function.

 

Too Young For Back Trouble?

I also treated a construction worker in his thirties who ignored his recurring neck and shoulder pain for more than a year because he felt “too young” to be dealing with anything serious.

By the time he came in, he was experiencing numbness and tingling in his hand and struggling to grip tools properly. He told me that what finally pushed him to get help was the realization that he could no longer trust the strength in his arm while working overhead, which can be incredibly dangerous.

Once we identified the underlying disc and nerve involvement, we again focused on conservative treatment to reduce the nerve irritation and restore strength and mobility before his condition progressed further. He regained the function in his hand and calmed the irritation in his neck and shoulders, and was able to get back to the job with better stability.

Both cases are good reminders that the key to avoiding recurring back problems is to pay attention to the early warning signs. Surgery sometimes is unavoidable, but prevention can make all the difference.

 

Treat Pain as Information

>When we treat pain as information instead of an interruption, we set ourselves up for success. Look out for include persistent lower back or neck pain, shooting pain into 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 labor.

Back injuries are a massive problem. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that more than one million workers experience a back injury every year. There also information available from the Centers for Disease Control.

If you’re experiencing back pain, know that you have options, and many of them are less invasive than you might assume. Conservative care can go a long way, especially when you take action sooner rather than later. The goal is real relief that allows you to continue earning a living without making every shift a gamble that may result in 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. Rozenberg can be reached at (818) 901-1505.