Neck and back injuries can seriously undermine a worker's physical abilities and they can take months – or even years – to fully heal. They can affect the livelihoods of people in many different types of professions. Neck and back injuries can mean lifting and pushing restrictions, as well as limited twisting, bending and stooping. A plumber, for example, might be unable to crawl under a house to fix the plumbing or HVAC. It also can affect a person's ability to lift or push heavy objects (such as a medical cart in a hospital). Many with back injuries have trouble bending or stooping for extensive periods of time (such as a housekeeper or certified nursing assistant (CNA) who can no longer make beds.
Back Problems
One of the most common back injuries is a disc problem – such as a herniated (slipped or ruptured) disc. Many different injury processes can affect the vertebrae. These problems can be difficult to diagnose and rely greatly on the opinion of the physician. The most common means of diagnosis is the MRI scan. Some spine surgeons want a diskogram or myelogram performed to confirm an MRI finding prior to giving a surgical recommendation.
Herniated (ruptured, bulging or slipped) discs:
Between each bone in the spine (vertebra) lies a disc made up of cartilage which cushions against shock and provides flexibility. The disc has a strong outer layer and a soft jelly-like inner layer. When a disc ruptures or herniates, the jelly-like layer leaks out or "bulges" through a weak area in the outer layer. Sometimes the disc will press on the nerves in the spinal column, causing pain and, in some cases, nerve damage. Symptoms may include pain and weakness where the disc ruptured. Loss of bladder/bowel control, while rare, also can occur.
Herniated discs in the neck area will sometimes cause pain and numbness or tingling in the back of the skull, neck, scapula (shoulder blade), shoulder, arm and hand.
Low back (lumbar spine) injuries can cause radiating pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks, legs and feet, a condition sometimes called sciatica. It is the most common symptom of a herniated disc in that region.
Diagnostic tools include x-rays, scans, MRIs, discograms and myelograms (a special x-ray of the spinal canal). Common treatment includes bed rest, physical therapy and over-the-counter and prescription medications, such as epidural steroid or cortisone injections. In more serious cases, surgery is an alternative.
Neck Problems:
Neck injuries at work can be caused by a number of factors from falling/slipping on a web floor to being hit by falling objects. Injuries from these accidents can range from a simple sprain to a herniated disk (see above). When the job requires use of a motor vehicle, whiplash is also a possibility.
Whiplash:
Whiplash occurs when a victim's head is violently hurled forward (hyperextension) and then backward (hyperflexion). A worker can experience whiplash if she/he is involved in a motor vehicle accident while on the job. Whiplash often occurs in rear end collisions, but can also occur when a car or truck strikes a non-moving object or gets broadsided by another vehicle. Whiplash accounts for more than one million spine injuries each year.
Whiplash injury can cause serious damage to the joints, discs, muscles, nerves and ligaments of the neck, and is most serious when a victim's head is turned to the side during impact. Symptoms include neck pain and swelling, tenderness along the back of the neck, muscle spasms in the side or back of the neck, difficulty moving the head, headache, and pain shooting from the neck into either the shoulder or arm. Though common, whiplash can be difficult to diagnose.
Information sources: WebMD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Spine Universe (an affiliate of the Everyday Health Network)
Information on this page is not intended as a substitute for a medical evaluation by a qualified provider or consult with an experienced North Carolina Workers' Compensation attorney.
