- What risk factors predispose our employees to develop neck/low back pain?
Many risk factors have been identified, and include occupational as well as non-occupational factors. The strongest occupational factors include:
- Repetitive heavy lifting, twisting, reaching, and bending
- Repetitive manual material handling
- Exposure to continuous whole-body vibration
- Poor job satisfaction
Non-occupational factors include:
- Poor physical condition of the employee
- Smoking
- Advanced age
- Psychosocial stressors
- What can our company do to reduce low back injuries?
Follow general ergonomic recommendations
- Change posture - Alternate between sitting and standing to reduce postural (static muscle) fatigue
- Rotate tasks thereby decreasing repetitive bending and twisting
- Use support - When sitting, use a chair with good lumbar support and arm rests.
- Safe reaching - Avoid awkward reaching toward equipment. Move frequently used items close to the work station.
- Normal arm posture - Keep elbows and upper arms close to the body. Avoid awkward positioning of the wrists and hands.
- Use comfortable equipment when possible
- Manage time effectively - Take appropriate rest breaks or alternate activities
- Train safety personnel and supervisors on proper lifting techniques and postural body mechanic principles.
- Combine training with assured availability of mechanical handling/lifting equipment
- Reduce employee fatigue (mandatory overtime)
- Encourage an active fitness program for employees
- Can we prevent long-term disability in employees with nonspecific low back pain?
YES! The SpineCare team strongly believes the following factors are critical:
- Early intervention (less than 6 weeks after injury) is extremely important.
- Activity and exercise are essential for the recovery of acute, nonspecific low back pain.
- Early identification of evidence-based predictors coupled with promotion of activity and active treatment can speed recovery.
- Deconditioning must be avoided.
- Prompt communication with the treating team, workplace, and employee is necessary.
- By reducing uncertainty and anxiety of low back pain through appropriate and timely medical intervention, depression, activity limitation, and sick role identification can be minimized.
- Support from supervisors and coworkers facilitate an early, safe return to work.
- When possible, allow an on-site job assessment by the SpineCare Clinic occupational therapist. The occupational therapist can facilitate carry-over of back education principles by the injured worker within the job environment.
- We have our own safety department to assess an injured employee's work area. How does that differ from a job analysis by SpineCare?
- Our staff works with your employee, safety, and human resources personnel in assisting your employee to incorporate correct body mechanics and lifting/material handling practices. We can also help identify critical job demands and ways to meet them in an efficient and "back safe" way. This cooperative approach allows for the supervised integration of back protection techniques with general reassurance, which is important to your employee's successful return to work.
- How soon can my employee return to usual duty after a spine injury?
- This will vary depending on the type and severity of injury. Every person heals differently. Once your employee begins the stabilization program at SpineCare, the SpineCare team will reassess your injured employee's ability to return to work. Clinical research has consistently shown that early return to work (even in a modified capacity) is associated with better overall outcome and lower costs. As back care providers in today's market, we're aware that managing health care costs are vital to employers. That's why, for example, we offer a unique "shared risk," global fee package which allows you to know up front what anticipated costs will be while giving up the flexibility to meet the needs of your injured worker.
- How do I know the injured employee will not get re-injured upon return to work?
- You don't. Every employee has the potential for injury. However, with the increased knowledge of spine protection and stabilization/strengthening the injured employee has gained from being at SpineCare, the risk of re-injury is minimized.
- What can I as the employer do to facilitate return to work for the injured employee?
- To facilitate return to work for the injured worker, the employer can follow the return to work recommendations provided by the SpineCare team/physician. A well thought out and organized light duty program to transition your injured employee back to work greatly facilitates our goal of early reactivation and return to work, both of which have shown to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
- What about complicated cases? I've heard that the minority of back injuries result in the majority of the costs. What about surgery?
- It is true that about 20% of injured workers account for over 80% of the costs for treatment and disability in the workplace. While we don't have all the answers for this problem, we do have a broad scope of physicians, a clinical psychologist, and other staff who are specially trained to identify potentially complicated cases early on so that stakeholders can assist in effecting the best possible outcome.
Internal auditing has shown our surgical rate to be among the lowest in the community; however, sometimes surgery is necessary. At SpineCare, we are committed to identifying the need for surgery early to avoid the burdensome additional costs and risks associated with the delay of appropriate care.