Back injuries affect a huge number of workers every year. In fact, it is the number one reason globally that employees call out of work.
These injuries often end up treated like a temporary nuisance. But in a surprisingly large number of cases, they can prove potentially life-altering.
Temporary effects of back injuries
The International Association for the Study of Pain discusses how back injuries can change a person’s life. First, they may prove physically disabling for some.
A person’s range of motion may drastically decrease with certain types of back injuries. On top of that, even mild to moderate injuries take weeks or even months to fully recover from.
A worker should wait until the swelling goes down in their injury before returning to their job, especially if the job involves actions that may agitate the injury in any way. Unfortunately, not many people have the ability to take weeks or months away from work with pay, or even without pay in some cases.
To that end, workers may have to deal with increasing medical bills and a decreased income, which may prove particularly problematic.
Permanent injury and job loss
Some workers even have to worry about losing their job entirely, which may happen if the back injury becomes a permanent issue. In some cases, damage from a back injury can last years or a lifetime, rendering a worker incapable of doing the work they once could.
This is why workers suffering from back injuries should look into their financial options and see what they can do to protect themselves during this time.