Do you suffer from work-related chronic pain? Does the pain you experienced affect you work?
If you answered “YES” to both questions, then you belong to the big group of tradesmen who suffer from chronic pain. In fact, tradesmen account for the highest number of injuries, musculoskeletal conditions and other health risks of any other profession. Nearly a quarter of all plumbers, builders, roofers and other tradesmen experience back pain, sciatica, muscle stress and strains from lifting equipment, bending over all the time, tripping, slipping, and falling due to managing equipment.
What causes chronic pain?
In some cases, chronic pain is associated with specific injury from the past. On the other hand, there are also people who suffer from chronic pain but didn’t experience any injuries at work. It’s because chronic pain is usually result of combination of different factors. It can also be related to conditions such as:
- Arthritis
- Lower back pain
- Nerve damage
- Neck Pain
- Disc problems
- Sciatica
- Shoulder pain
Treating chronic pain
About 20% of adult Australians suffer from chronic pain. Pain usually affects men that fall into 35 – 59 age group. With 38% of all chronic pain cases in Australia, injury accounts as number one cause. Furthermore, chronic pain is estimated to cost Australian economy $34.3 billion each year which equates to $10, 847 for each person with this condition. Luckily, 70% – 80% of chronic pain cases are manageable.
It is highly important to manage chronic pain in order to improve productivity at work and prevent it from affecting overall quality of life. There is a wide range of methods to relieve chronic pain. Different people experience pain in different intensity and they opt for different chronic pain treatments. Below is a list of the most common current methods for relieving chronic pain:
- Medications – there are several categories of medications that are used to treat chronic pain. The most commonly used are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pain killers, opioids and muscle relaxants.
- Acupuncture – relaxing technique which offers relief from chronic pain
- Massage – eases pain by improving blood flow to stiff joints and muscles.
- Meditation – practicing mindfulness and learning to avoid focusing on pain through breathing techniques
- Biofeedback – patient wears sensors that record different bodily processes and learns to control the muscle tension and other factors that contribute to chronic pain
- Exercise – low-impact exercise improves mobility and flexibility of joints
- Physical therapy – working with a therapist who helps you avoid particular ways of moving to avoid chronic pain
- Nerve stimulation – tiny jolts of electricity block nerve impulses which cause chronic pain
- Chiropractic – spinal manipulation as a way of relieving pain is very beneficial for tradesmen and other people who experience chronic pain. Just like acupuncture, massage and meditation, chiropractor aims to relieve the pain in natural manner
When it comes to chronic pain treatments, it is important to bear in mind there’s no “one size fits all” rule. While medications do relieve the pain, they don’t eliminate the root cause. Plus, it’s not the safest method, particularly for those who take medications for other conditions. This is why chiropractic care is a great alternative; it relieves your pain in a natural way that won’t harm your overall health and wellbeing.
If you would like to speak with a chiropractor at Adaptive Chiropractic to discuss your chronic pain, click here for more information