Chiropractic Care for Your Back Breaking Job
By Sara Butler
There are some jobs that can be real back-breakers. OK, so maybe not literally jobs that will break your back (hopefully), but jobs that place a lot of stress and strain on the spine and the muscles that help support it. Here’s what the chiropractors at The Joint want you to know about these occupations and how chiropractic care can help to keep you healthy and on the job!
The Most Back-Breaking Jobs
According to an informal survey done by the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the jobs hardest on the back include:
- Nursing home workers – Lifting people in and out of bed contributes to back pain and injury.
- Auto mechanics – Working in positions that are physically awkward all day can really take their toll.
- Delivery drivers – Driving all day in combination with carrying large, heavy packages can wreak havoc on the back.
- EMTs/Firefighters – The carrying of people, often people who need help and can’t carry themselves, along with dealing with water pressure from large hoses and wielding an axe to chop down obstacles, are tough on the back.
- Roofers – These workers are constantly twisting their bodies, lifting heavy equipment and supplies, and bend over all day long.
- Farmers – Farmers have to lift heavy bags of feed and twist and turn their bodies to constantly check behind them when working in the fields.
- Police officers – Those belts are no joke! They can weigh up to 40 pounds. Combine that with a lot of sitting in patrol cars or trying to apprehend suspects that aren’t cooperative, and you have a recipe for back pain.
- Construction workers – Steelwork, ironwork, carpentry, and jobs involving lifting and hammering in awkward positions can put a lot of pressure on the spine.
How Chiropractors Can Help
If one of these professions is yours, then you need to see a chiropractor. The chance that you will experience low back pain are about 80 percent over the course of your career, so you have to be proactive when you have a very physically demanding career to take care of yourself.
Chiropractors have a vast body of knowledge to pull from when it comes to the functioning and structure of the human body. They can diagnose and correct problems you may be having through dietary and lifestyle advice, spinal adjustments, and other natural tools at their disposal.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Los Angeles, Calif.