Back injuries afflict many workers every year. In fact, they actually make up the number one reason for missed work days in workplaces across the globe.
While back injuries have a high level of commonality, that does not mean they do not pose an actual threat. In fact, many back injury sufferers end up struggling with work for the rest of their life.
Back injuries and medical costs
Cleveland Clinic discusses the impact of back injuries on workers across the country. Back injuries can occur in many ways and for many reasons. For those who receive a back injury while on the clock, it is possible to seek compensation, which many may need for various medical costs.
Back injuries do have a lot of associated medical costs, too. Victims may need medication for pain, and in some severe cases, they might even require surgery to fix their back so they can heal properly.
However, the biggest expense ties in to the amount of work a victim will end up missing. Back injuries take a long time to heal. Even in the mildest of cases, it can still take days for the inflammation to die down.
Delayed return to work
Victims should not return to work with the injury still in its inflamed stages, as doing so can result in exacerbation of the wound. This makes it take even longer to heal and further restricts a victim’s range of motion.
In some cases, a victim never regains their full range of motion or physical ability. This is devastating in jobs where the work itself depends on a victim’s back health, and is why back injuries pose such a big threat.