Musculoskeletal Long-Term Injuries Are on the Rise Protect Yourself so You Can Live a Longer Better Life

Musculoskeletal injuries are on the rise by 40 percent since 2010, according to a news release by Unum in May 2020. Most of these sustained injuries occurred with male workers (62 percent) in the overall increase. You can check out the 2018 Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) listings for Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities here. Arizona’s incident rate in 2018 was 3.0, statistically greater than the national average (Chart 8 on the above web page).

While aging can be one factor when heavy lifting is involved, so is prolonged sitting at a desk throughout an eight-hour day. Sitting at a desk all day long encourages a breakdown of back-supporting muscles, leading to weak muscles in the back as well as knees and legs. It is important to your health to develop and maintain an exercise schedule that keeps your spine and leg (and knee) muscles healthy and strong.

In jobs where continuous lifting and other heavy-duty movements are involved, it is important to take breaks from heavy repetitive motions so you can rest those muscles. Tired muscles lessen support to the body, such as the spine, when you need it most. When your body is tired and weak, you have a higher chance of an accident leading to a severe injury.

STRENGTH-TRAINING SESSIONS

Your employer may provide professional training on how to move heavy equipment and packages as well as showing you how to use the equipment that will help avoid straining your muscles. If not, check out your health insurance provider to see if you are eligible for attending sessions at a gym that help you with appropriate strength-training routines.

If you are injured, you must have doctor supervision and a recommendation to a medical facility that provides rehabilitation services before going to a gym on your own. For example, sports doctors and chiropractors, who specialize in treating athletes of all types, have a lot of experience in what works best for more difficult physical issues.

Your doctor can recommend one of these to you. Get x-rays done first before going to the sports or chiropractic doctor. Make sure your health insurance or workers’ compensation coverage will pay for those doctors.

LEAD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

There are things you can do to help yourself lead a healthier life, like quitting smoking and keeping your weight down to an acceptable level for your height and age. When you have an accident involving your spine, for example, you will not be able to exercise normally. You can ask your doctor what small exercises you can do that will not affect the injured section.

Always get annual checkups and get checked for cancer, especially if there is a history of cancer (any kind) in your family profile. Your parents may not have had it, but do you know if your grandparents had cancer? You need to know so you can check for it each year. Should cancer ever present itself, you can catch it early and get it successfully treated.

Extra weight means more body mass to carry around, putting further strain on those already-injured muscles and musculoskeletal frame. Avoid all extra snack foods, desserts, sodas, those foods which have no nutritional advantages, even though they taste good.

Drink less alcohol and more water. If you are already in good physical shape and you have an accident at work, you can recover faster and get back to your job.

Always think about your safety and that of your fellow workers during the workday. If you see something unsafe, bring it to everyone’s attention immediately, especially the manager. Watch each other’s back.

CONCLUSION

If you have had a work-related injury or illness and need help with filing your claim, call Workers compensation lawyer Phoenix AZ at once for a free consultation. We are here to help you. 602-346-9009.