There are a lot of active jobs out there that can cause back pain. Even if yours didn’t make this list, there are helpful tips in here for you too! Whether you are a veterinarian, pharmacist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, nurse, massage therapist, physical therapist, chiropractor, or something else, having an active job doesn’t save you from back pain. Here are some active jobs that might cause back pain. If you have one of them (or any active job), keep reading to see how your job can hurt your back and how you can prevent and relieve the pain.
Emergency Responder: Firefighter/EMT/Paramedic
Problem: Emergency responders go from being stationary to being very active in an instant. While some might use their down time to work out, others might sit and work on something until it’s time to go on a call. Because of this stop-and-go routine, your muscles don’t get a change to warm up before the action comes. You also do a lot of heavy lifting, bending, and twisting, all of which can increase your risk of back pain and injury.
Solution: Because of your stop-and-go lifestyle, it is important for you to use time to warm up your muscles and stretch before a call comes. With warm and lengthened muscles, it is less likely that you will be injured from doing your job to help save the community. Also remember to lift objects and people correctly by squatting at the knees and maintaining the natural curvature of your spine. If you want to protect your back even more, do core strengthening exercises on your down time to maintain good posture and a healthy spine. All of this should help you avoid back pain on the job.
Hairstylist
Problem: Hairstylists are on their feet all day. If you are a hairstylist, you know that standing and hunching over that long can take a toll on your back. While you do have an adjustable chair for your customer, your posture still takes a hit, which will likely cause you back pain.
Solution: Try and use your tools to your advantage. If you need to pump the chair up a little higher to avoid hunching over, do it! If it doesn’t go up that high, try lowering it and pulling up a chair to sit in if it’s convenient. If none of that works for you, make sure you are stretching with the Chirp Wheel in between clients to help reverse the damage from poor posture and to give you a nice break and massage.
School Teacher
Problem: Whatever grade you teach, you are likely on your feet all day, bending over desks, or hunching over your own desk to grade papers. Poor posture takes a big toll on your back because it weakens your core muscles and uses other muscles to compensate for the loss. Doing this all day will likely cause you back pain.
Solution: Bring the Chirp Wheel to work. Keeping the wheel under your desk will help reverse your poor posture, even if you only have a 3-minute break between classes. You can also use the Deep Tissue Chirp Wheel+ as a posture corrector when sitting at your desk. Just place the wheel in the small of your back while sitting in your chair, and you will be reminded to have good posture and sit comfortably. You can even use the wheels to put your feet up under your desk. You deserve any break you can get because teaching is not an easy job. When you get home for the day, you can also try stretching and strengthening your core to help make maintaining correct posture easier.
Construction Worker
Problem: If you’re a construction worker, you are moving, lifting, bending, and straining all day. Or maybe you’re driving around one of those cool bulldozers all day. According to the Washington Times, a study showed that Utah’s construction workers are also more likely to smoke than workers in other occupations. Unfortunately, smoking can also put you at higher risk for back pain. Whether you smoke or not, all these things make construction workers prone to back pain.
Solution: Whether your back is sore from moving all day, lifting incorrectly, sitting in a vehicle all day, or building muscle, there is plenty you can do to help reduce your back pain on and off the job. Stretching, using the Chirp Wheel, strengthening your core, and lifting correctly and safely will help you start to reduce your back pain. You might also experience muscle strain from repetitive movements. If that’s the case, try to switch hands/sides or take breaks when you can. If you would like, you might also look for support to quit smoking, as smoking can cause inflammation and other back pain related issues.
Patrol officer
Problem: Police officers who patrol certain areas and answer calls for help might also be prone to more back pain. If you’re a patrol officer, you know that driving, getting in and out of your vehicle, and bending down to write a ticket can bring back pain. Driving for long periods alone can cause lumbar pain because of increased pressure on the lower back. It is also common to have poor posture when you’re behind the wheel. Going from being stationary to active in a second can put extra strain on your muscles and cause you back pain.
Solution: Try and maintain good posture even while you drive around. When you have free time off the job, strengthen your core, stretch your back with the Chirp Wheel, and stretch your legs and lower extremities often. These things will help you stay loose on the job so that you don’t further hurt your back.
Maintenance/Repair Worker
Problem: If you work in plumbing or any type of repair job, you go from place to place all day, bending, squatting, kneeling, driving, and lifting all sorts of things. All of which can cause back pain if not done properly.
Solution: Whatever you do, try and maintain good posture when lifting, bending, sitting, and standing. Having correct posture will help maintain the natural curvature of your spine. When lifting an object, make sure to bend at the knees and not the hips while maintaining the natural curvature of your spine. When you get home, strengthen your core, stretch your back with the Chirp Wheel, and stretch your legs and lower extremities often. Even doing a quick exercise and stretching routine in the morning before work could help reduce your back pain dramatically.
References
American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (2020). Herniated disc. Retrieved from https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Herniated-Disc#:~:text=A%20herniated%20disc%20(also%20called,an%20early%20stage%20of%20degeneration
American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (2020). Low back strain and sprain. Retrieved from https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Low-Back-Strain-and-Sprain
Appold, K. (2016, December 20). What you eat may help beat back pain. Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/can-good-diet-fight-back-pain/#:~:text=Kale%2C%20spinach%2C%20and%20broccoli%20are,turkey%3B%20beans%3B%20and%20cocoa.
Franciscan Health. (2019, january 8). 3 ways smoking is hurting your back. Retrieved from https://www.franciscanhealth.org/news-and-events/news/3-ways-smoking-hurting-your-back#:~:text=Smoking%20Hurts%20Your%20Blood%20Flow&text=%22Because%20nicotine%20can%20alter%20the,Navarasala%20said.
Nicholson, S. (2020, May 12). 5 bad habits you must stop that are causing back pain. Retrieved from https://lowbackpainprogram.com/5-habits-you-must-stop-now-to-protect-your-back/
Nicholson, S. (2020). 7 daily habits you should change to stop hurting your back. Retrieved from https://lowbackpainprogram.com/lifestyle/
Price, M. L. (2015, September 21). Report: higher smoking, drinking among construction workers. Retrieved from https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/21/report-higher-smoking-drinking-among-construction-/#:~:text=SALT%20LAKE%20CITY%20(AP)%20%2D,from%20Utah's%20Department%20of%20Health.
