Tradies: Identifying the signs of back injury

As a tradie, you spend long hours at work engaged in intense physical activities: lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing, twisting, standing and more. Not only do you put extreme demand on your body, particularly your spine, but during your breaks you may find yourself hunched over when sitting. This is a common posture we all tend to take after physical exertion, but may cause just as much stress on the spine as repetitive physical activity.

The fact is, despite your best efforts, you will likely experience a back injury at some point. Your spine’s many interconnected and overlapping structures are capable of becoming injured when working in physically demanding industries.

Knowing the signs of a back injury can help you know when is a good time to visit your chiropractor. Some signs of a back injury include:

• Swelling in the spine, pain or tenderness (sore to touch)

• Difficulty standing up straight or bending over

• Difficulty twisting the spine or bending the neck

• Muscle spasms in the back

• Stiffness or difficulty moving

• Pain when coughing, laughing, or sneezing

• Numbness, tingling or weakness  to the arms, legs, hands or feet

Most conditions develop over time and start as simple as muscle tension, decreased range of movement, stiffness, or some sort of occasional pain with some movements or activities.

You want to get on top of any signs of injury as soon as you can. Better yet, get ahead of future spinal issues by including Chiropractic care in your wellness plan as a preventative measure.