Back Safety - Causes and Anatomy of Back Injuries

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Back injuries affect over 80% of us at some point in our lives. In the workplace, over 2 million workers experience back injuries and it costs employers over 30 billion dollars annually. Not only do back injuries affect our work lives but our personal lives as well. The back is part of virtually every movement we make and injuries to it can affect quality of live dramatically - sometimes resulting in debilitating pain that results in unemployment.

When we think of back injuries we think of heavy lifting that results in a traumatic one-time injury, however, most of the time this is not the case. Back injuries are the result of repeated stress over many years and surprisingly it's not always heavy lifting that causes it. The sedimentary lifestyles that are so prevalent today are also a factor.

The back is a complicated grouping of bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons and nerves which are amazingly strong, yet easily damaged. Most workers don't take precautions to protect the back, yet injuries can be prevented if we understand how the back works.

Backs are extremely flexible and yet rigid enough to support half of our body weight. The foundation of your back, the spine, also has enough flexibility for you to bend down and touch your toes. The spine is made up of 33 bones known as vertebrae. 24 of these bones are moveable through hinged, facet joints that guide movement and give stability. The vertebrae are cushioned by intervertebral discs that act like shock absorbers. In a healthy spine the vertebrae form an "S" curve. The spinal cord is an information line to your brain and spinal injuries can cause pain and numbness in other areas, paralysis or even death.

Because these areas of the back are so flexible, it also makes them particularly vulnerable to injury. In fact, most people injure the lumbar region of their back at some point in their lives. Strained muscles and ligaments are the most common causes of back pain, but with treatment these types of injuries usually heal quickly.

"Ruptured" or "herniated" discs are the most common type of spinal injury. Most of these ruptures occur in the lower two discs in the lumbar region. Also known as a slipped disc, these injuries occur when the elastic part of the disc ruptures and the gelatinous matter protrudes into the spinal canal putting pressure on the spinal cord. This causes back pain and numbness. Ruptured discs can also occur in the cervical region due to whiplash - a sudden jolt like a car accident. These discs usual heal themselves with proper treatment but full healing doesn't occur for us to 2 years.

Back pain can also be caused by chronic diseases that affect the spine. Mostly commonly this manifests itself in narrowing of the spine, bone loss or arthritis. Arthritis is the most common type of chronic back injury disease and is characterized by pain and stiffness of the back. Arthritis is generally inflammation in the lining of the bones and joints, but could also be loss of cartilage or bone spurs. It most commonly occurs in people over 50 but can occur at any age.

Arthritis is just one of the things that causes are back to degenerate as we get older. As the body ages muscles, ligaments and joints weaken and wear out. The aging process is inevitable but being overweight, bad posture and lifting incorrectly can hasten the breakdown.

Back Safety is possibly the most important part of a workplace safety program. More people will suffer from back injuries than any other type of workplace injury. It affects employees in every part of a company from office to manufacturing staff. Understanding the back's anatomy and causes of back pain is the first step in avoiding injury.