Back Clinic Work-Related Injuries Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Team. Work injuries and conditions can occur from a variety of circumstances, altering an individual’s lifestyle, however, those that occur in the work field can often also be debilitating and impairing, affecting an individual’s work performance. Work-related injuries can include bone fractures and muscle strains/sprains to conditions causing degeneration of many structures of the body, such as arthritis.
Also referred to as occupational injury, repetitive and constant motions of the hands, arms, shoulders, neck and back, among others, can gradually wear out the tissues, increasing the risk of injury which could eventually lead to further complications. A collection of articles depicts the causes and effects of many work-related injuries, carefully describing each variety. For more information, please feel free to contact us at (915) 850-0900 or text to call Dr. Jimenez personally at (915) 540-8444.
Injured: In 2014, there were 2.8 million occupational injuries. This crossed all industries, but 75 percent were in those that provided a service.
These injuries can lead to time lost at work, decrease in production, depression, and temporary (or permanent) disability. These injuries can be caused by slip and fall, vehicle collisions, electrocution, struck by hazards, and caught in or between accidents. However, work related injury can also be caused by sitting at a desk or hunched over a computer for extended periods of time. Chiropractic has been shown to help workers who have been injured on the job, so they can return to work faster.
Injured
Common Occupational Injuries
Occupational injuries are vast and varied with a host of causes and many different symptoms. They can range from minor annoyances to significant damage that can lead to temporary or permanent disability. Some may require surgery while others require extended physical therapy, braces, and intensive medical treatments.
Thoracic outlet syndrome � This injury is caused by flexing the shoulder, carrying loads on your shoulders, and extending your arms above shoulder height for a prolonged period of time. It is marked by swelling, pain, dull ache, weakness, or a burning sensation in the affected area.
Elbow tendonitis (Epicondylitis) � This injury is caused by forceful or repeated forearm rotation while simultaneously bending the wrist. It is marked by swelling, dull ache, pain, burning, and weakness in the affected area.
Carpal tunnel syndrome � This injury can be caused by several things including vibratory tools, repetitive motion, and secondary factors. It is marked by numbness, pain, tingling, wasting of muscles at the thumb base, and burning.
DeQuervain�s disease � This injury is caused by forceful gripping and repetitive hand twisting. It is marked by pain at the thumb base.
Tendonitis/tenosynovitis � This injury is caused by sustained hyperextension of the knee, repetitive motion, and prolonged load overuse. It is marked by numbness, pain, and swelling in the hands.
Back and neck pain � This injury can have a wide variety of causes from repetitive motion to accident to improper equipment. It is the most common work related injury.
Preventing Workplace Injuries
While a few work related injuries are unavoidable, many can be prevented with a little extra attention and care. The American Chiropractic Association recommends the following practices to reduce the risk of a workplace injury.
Get regular exercise. This helps prevent back injuries by keeping your body strong, fit, and flexible.
If you do desk work, get a chair that fits you. This means that there should be two inches between the backs of your knees and the front edge of the seat. Your knees should be level with your hips or slightly below, never higher.
When doing computer work, use a foot rest for support and keep your knees between a 90 degree and 120-degree angle.
If your job requires you to sit for extended periods of time, take breaks at least every two hours to walk and stretch.
When you lift something heavy or awkward, don�t bend over to do it. Bend at your knees and hips, squatting as you pick up the object and let your legs do the work and keeping the object close to your body while your back remains straight. Do not let your body twist while you are trying to lift.
Of course, you should also follow all recommended and required safety guidelines for your workstation and place of employment.
Chiropractic For Workplace Injuries
Chiropractic care can help speed your recovery, improve your posture, and restore your mobility and strength. Through various chiropractic techniques, many of the occupational injuries listed here can be effectively treated. Chiropractic is a proven method for managing pain for the back and neck, but it has also been proven to be very beneficial for conditions like carpal tunnel, elbow tendonitis, and knee injuries.
Chiropractic�s whole body approach helps injured workers not only manage their pain and help heal their injury through adjustments, it can also help with soft tissue rehabilitation and other noninvasive therapies that improve range of motion. In short, chiropractic can help workers get back to work faster so less time is lost from work and the financial impact is greatly decreased.
Injury Medical Clinic: Accident Treatment & Recovery
Ergonomics in the work place. Back pain is one of the most frequent work-related injuries and is often brought on by ordinary work activities like sitting in an office chair or heavy lifting.� the study of the workplace as it relates to the worker – helps prevent back pain and back injury and help maintain a healthy back.
The objective of an ergonomics program in business is to adapt the workplace to a specific worker, determined by the job description, required tasks, and physical make up of the employee performing these tasks.
Non-accidental injury, where pain occurs as a result of normal activities and needs of the task. This might occur from sitting in an office chair or standing for too long in one position.
Accidental injury results when an unexpected event triggers injury during the task. A load that changes as it is being lifted, and fall and a slip or hitting one’s head on a cabinet door or slips are typical examples. These injuries can jolt other joints, back, and the neck with consequent muscle strain or tearing of soft tissue at the back.
Occupations which are physically demanding and require repetitive lifting (such as in nursing or heavy industry) are at greatest risk for both non-accidental and accidental spine injury. For instance, a number of health workers have problems because patients are of weight and different stature with needs. Often, the patients need help changing position, rising from a chair and walking. Similarly, the physical effort needed to release a trapped individual or save a life is unpredictable. The same problems occur in the building industry where consistencies of tasks are a challenge.
Office Chair Back Injuries
Individuals who sit most of the day, like those working in a computer while sitting in an office chair, are also at high risk for non-accidental spine injury. Office ergonomics, or computer ergonomics, can help minimize the risk such as the dangers associated with prolonged sitting in an office chair, and carpal tunnel syndrome, such as lower back pain, neck strain, and leg pain.
Office Chair: Ergonomics To Reduce Back Pain?
This guide summarize the use of ergonomic concepts, mechanical apparatus and decent body mechanics (biomechanics) that can contribute to reducing back injuries in the work environment for several jobs. Significantly, staying strong, physically fit and flexible improves the probability of preventing back injuries.
There are certain basic ergonomic tips which may help an employee avoid back pain or back injury:
Develop a job description based on the forces within a particular work environment, the time spent performing the task and the biomechanics (which define human moves and seated posture in an office chair) used in the task.
Use body posture as a tool which may be changed to fit the job demands with minimal stress on the muscles, ligaments, bones and joints.
Learn and use proper body mechanics to restrict extra mechanical stress in completing the job.
Maintain fitness and flexibility and create a reserve of strength.
Identifying Poor Posture And Risks
Many potentially harmful situations that lead to back injury can be identified and avoided by following four basic rules of thumb:
Prolonged static posture is your enemy. The healthy body can only tolerate staying in one position for around 20 minutes. That is sitting at a movie theatre, in a desk in an office chair, or on an airplane becomes uncomfortable after a short time. Standing in one area, such as standing on a floor at an assembly line tends to cause back pain. Holding the same position gradually reduces elasticity in the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the back). Stress builds up and causes discomfort and/or leg discomfort back.
The remedy is simple. Whether you are sitting in an office chair or standing in a line, change positions frequently. Just move. Stand or sit, stretch, have a short walk. After returning to the standing or sitting posture, use an alternate posture for only a couple minutes and some.
Frequent or repetitive stretching to the end range of motion or embarrassing, angled positions can liquefy the joints. Unlike jobs that need seating in an office chair, jobs that require motion can cause discomfort. Such tasks involve lifting overhead lifting from the floor, moving loads, or utilizing force or twisting while managing material and which signal back injuries might be on the way.
Heavy loads offer greater risk. It is important to have the proper tools or get help if the job requires moving objects.
Fatigue�from sitting in an office chair, from work or from insomnia can make people move more awkwardly. If one is overtired or feels fatigued, it is advisable to avoid lifting heavy objects alone or quickly.
These ergonomic rules of thumb will help the worker and their backs. Otherwise the worker is at risk of sustaining or aggravating a back injury.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez examines patients that go through chiropractic vs. traditional medical care.
Because back pain is such a common problem, a group of Canadian researchers recently investigated the role�that the type of primary caregiver has on financial compensation.
This was a large study of 5,511 patients who experienced a work-related back injury in Ontario, Canada.
Patients Saw The Following Providers For Their First Visit:
85.3% saw a medical doctor
11.4% saw a chiropractor
3.2% saw a physical therapist
A Comparison Of The Duration Of Financial Compensation For Back Pain Among Patients From Each Group
The study found that chiropractic patients had the shortest amount of time receiving compensation for their pain and also were less likely to have a recurrence.
In addition, chiropractic patients didn�t need to see other healthcare providers for their pain. 75% of chiropractic patients saw no other provider, while 58.6% of physical therapy patients also saw a medical doctor.
The authors conclude:
�The type of healthcare provider first visited for back pain is a determinant of the duration of financial compensation during the first 5 months. Chiropractic patients experience the shortest duration of compensation, and physiotherapy patients experience the longest.�
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Blanchette M, Rivard M, Dionne CE, et al. Association between the type of first healthcare provider and the duration of financial compensation for occupational back pain. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 2016 Sep 17.
N.L. chiropractors� association says workers also get back on the job faster
CBC News
The Newfoundland &�Labrador Chiropractic Association
Seeing A�Chiropractor First After�A Workplace Injury Gets Workers Back On The Job Faster
Dr. Darrell Wade, CEO of the association, said the September 2016 study�analyzed data from more than 5,500 injured workers in Ontario.
�What it found was that the initial provider of care for back pain was a very strong determinant of the duration of financial compensation for at least the first five months of the claim,� he told CBC Radio�s On the Go.
The study, published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, found that workers who saw a chiropractor first, rather than a physician or a physiotherapist, needed full compensation for a shorter time.
�What they found was that people who had seen a chiropractor first had seen about a 20 per cent less cost in these claims over those who visited their family physician,� he said.
The study involved more than 5,000 injured workers in Ontario, comparing time lost depending on which health care professional they saw first. (CBC)
A majority of workplace injuries are related to joints and muscles, making chiropractors a logical choice for the first visit, said Wade.
�Getting to the person who is most adequately equipped to treat your injury in the first place is what really accounts for the reductions in lost time from work and compensation costs,� he said.
In the study, done by researchers at the University of Montreal, just 11 per cent of the workers saw a chiropractor first, and Wade says that percentage would be less in Newfoundland and Labrador.
�It does speak to a great potential for improvement in our system, were we to use chiropractors more as the front line for musculoskeletal injuries, in particular, back pain,� he said.
�All too often these patients are not getting to us until three�months after an injury and at that point the chance of success decreases significantly.�
Texas has some of the nation�s most affordable workers� compensation coverage, according to a 2016 study, which found that the Lone Star State had the 10th lowest rates among all states.
The study by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on premium rates that were in effect January 1, 2016. Texas, with premiums at $1.45 per $100 of payroll, ranked No. 10, four spots higher than the previous study in 2014.
�It�s great to see evidence of the progress we�ve made in affordability,� said Texas Commissioner of Workers� Compensation Ryan Brannan. �Lower injury rates, better return-to-work outcomes for injured employees, and reduced medical costs per claim are a big factor, but the results of the Oregon study are also proof that we�re becoming more efficient, proactive, and transparent.�
Texas Workers’ Compensation Rates
Texas� workers� compensation premium rates are about 21 percent lower than the median for all states, according to the study. California has the most expensive rates in the nation, at $3.24 per $100 of payroll. Rates in Texas are also favorable compared with other high-population states, such as Florida, Illinois, and New York. North Dakota had the least expensive rates, at 89 cents per $100 of payroll.
�The Texas workers� compensation system has been a model for other states in many ways,� Brannan said. �And we�re going to keep improving. We�re working on several efforts to keep our costs low. We�re cutting data storage costs by digitizing records, reducing prescription drug costs with a closed formulary, and eliminating waste and fraud with a new in-house fraud unit. We�ve also launched a statewide effort to streamline the dispute resolution process.��
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Preventing Work Disability with Chiropractic
After being involved in an unfortunate accident at work, injuries and aggravated conditions resulting from the incident can often lead to a variety of painful symptoms and complications, if left untreated, along with missed days at work and lost wages. A new research study showed that workers who received regular chiropractic care experienced less work-related injuries.
Injured workers in Texas have better access to physicians who can treat them more quickly than they did 15 years ago, according to a September 2016 study by the Texas Department of Insurance�s Research and Evaluation Group (REG). The study found 84 percent of injured workers received initial care in seven days or less in 2015, compared to 76 percent in 2000.
�That�s significant because improved timeliness means workers have a much better chance of getting back to work, and the cost for their care will be much lower,� said Workers� Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan.
Effective Workers’ Compensation System
The study measures the effectiveness of the workers� compensation system to deliver timely and appropriate medical care to injured employees. It found that injured workers who aren�t treated within seven days have an average of about 40 percent more in medical costs over the first six months of an injury. In 2015, about half of injured workers saw a physician in one day or less. The average wait was 4.5 days.
�In terms of timeliness, when REG�s results are compared to the NCCI study of 35 states, Texas appears to be among the faster states.� Brannan said. �We have ongoing recruiting efforts to increase physician participation, and any issues with physician access are primarily due to a low number of physicians practicing in specific areas, not a low rate of physicians treating workers� compensation patients in Texas.�
The number of physicians in Texas who treated injured workers increased 6 percent from 2000 to 2015. During that same period, there was an 11 percent drop in the number of workers� compensation claims filed.
The decrease in claims also means injured workers in most of the state have options when searching for a physician.
In 2000, each physician who participated in workers� compensation treated an average of 21 patients. By 2015, that figure had dropped to 15, a decrease of 26 percent.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Preventing Work Disability with Chiropractic
After being involved in an unfortunate accident at work, injuries and aggravated conditions resulting from the incident can often lead to a variety of painful symptoms and complications, if left untreated, along with missed days at work and lost wages. A new research study showed that workers who received regular chiropractic care experienced less work-related injuries.
After a successful pilot project, the Texas Division of Workers� Compensation rolled out a statewide program in October 2016 that has helped speed up the resolution of some disputes.
The program splits up related claim issues so that a hearing officer can decide the most far-reaching issue first. This can clear the way for secondary issues to be resolved sooner. In the pilot program, the approach helped speed resolution of many workers� compensation disputes.
�We�re always looking for ways to stay on the cutting edge of workers� compensation, and this process is a great example of finding a way to improve efficiency in the system,� said Workers� Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan. �From what we�ve seen in the pilot project and in the statewide roll-out, the two-step approach to deciding some of the most complex issues in a dispute is a good option for system participants in many cases.�
Two-Step Program Introduced for Workers’ Comp
When an injured employee has a dispute about a claim, it often involves three issues: extent of the injury, the date that the employee reached maximum medical improvement and the impairment rating for the injury.
According to Deputy Commissioner for Hearings Kerry Sullivan, even though extent of injury is a �threshold issue� that can affect the other issues, it�s often addressed at the same time as the other issues in the dispute process.
�It can be challenging to come into a hearing and know there are so many alternatives for the hearing officer to address,� Sullivan said.
Parties in a dispute may base their arguments about impairment ratings and dates of maximum medical improvement on what they think the extent of injury should be. If the hearing officer decides a different extent of injury, then parties will often have to request more time to adjust those recommendations.
The new two-step program is voluntary, and the existing system is still used in many cases. The option to participate is presented by the presiding officer at the initial benefit review conference for cases that may benefit from the approach. The two-step approach is used only if both parties agree to it.
�The presiding officer usually knows going into the dispute whether a decision on extent of injury will move things along,� Sullivan said. �Deciding the extent of injury issue first can lead to a better outcome, a more efficient hearing, and more agreements. We�re pleased it�s been working out so well.�
The two-step program started at DWC�s Weslaco office in May 2015 and soon was expanded to Dallas. It�s now available at all 20 offices statewide.
For more information, call (512) 804-4010.�
Further information on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Preventing Work Disability with Chiropractic
After being involved in an unfortunate accident at work, injuries and aggravated conditions resulting from the incident can often lead to a variety of painful symptoms and complications, if left untreated, along with missed days at work and lost wages. A new research study showed that workers who received regular chiropractic care experienced less work-related injuries.
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Individuals who sit most of the day, like those working in a computer while sitting in an office chair, are also at high risk for non-accidental spine injury. Office ergonomics, or computer ergonomics, can help minimize the risk such as the dangers associated with prolonged sitting in an office chair, and carpal tunnel syndrome, such as lower back pain, neck strain, and leg pain.
Many potentially harmful situations that lead to back injury can be identified and avoided by following four basic rules of thumb:
These ergonomic rules of thumb will help the worker and their backs. Otherwise the worker is at risk of sustaining or aggravating a 
