Ellen DeGeneres has her routine on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she dances through the crowd, shuffles, shakes, shimmies over her coffee table, and finally swings into her chair to begin the show. The only time Ellen is unable to throw herself into this routine (loved by all)—is when she throws her back out. If you are a fan of Ellen then, likely, you’ve seen her struggle through this piece, as she explains that her back is acting up again and needs to take it easy. Ellen faces the struggle that many people face in their day-to-day life: back injuries or back problems. In Ellen’s case, her back affects her performance at work, and, for many, that becomes the reality.
Back Injuries in the Workplace
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) explains that back injuries at work are the second most common workplace injury, besides hand injuries. These common injuries include:
- Strain in the lower back;
- Disks that are slipped, bulging, and herniated;
- A fractured vertebrae;
- Nerves that are pinched; and
- Damage to the spinal cord.
Back injuries at work are usually caused by the overextension, or twisting, of the spine, due to: lifting, pushing, pulling, poor posture, or heavy lifting. It can take treatment and a long stretch of recovery time to be ready for work again after sustaining a back injury.
Causes of Back Pain
Back pain at work can be caused by a single action, or multiple actions causing persistent strain on the back muscles. If you are lifting a heavy box at work, you can receive an immediate back injury because of the heavy load. Although, if you are repeating motions such as: pulling, loading, or sitting with poor posture, this can cause your back to become strained overtime.
There are two different types of back injuries, acute and chronic:
- Acute back pain happens fast, but you will also recover within three to six weeks time. It is temporary back pain.
- Chronic back pain is pain that continues to occur for more than six weeks. It can stay with a person for years and can even last a lifetime.
In 2003 alone, half a million workers in Canada were injured on the job. The majority of these workers (72%) were men, and three-quarters of these injuries occurred in blue-collar professions.
If you are one of these people injured at work, contact a back injury attorney to help you file your back injury claims and receive compensation for your suffering.
Hiring a Back Injury Attorney to Receive Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ Compensation programs in Canada are designed to protect employees from the financial stress that people face after sustaining a work-related injury or occupational disease. A Toronto personal injury lawyer or back injury lawyer will know what you are eligible for when looking for workers’ compensation. It is an employee’s right, and the responsibility of the HRSDC-Labour Program and the employer, to ensure that an employee receives workers’ compensation for his or her occupational injuries.
If you are an employee that has sustained a back injury, or another occupational injury, and you have received less than the amount that you were entitled to under the Act, a Toronto personal injury lawyer or back injury attorney will work with you to receive the compensation you deserve.
Sources:
http://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/back-injuries-work.html
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2006007/article/injuries-blessures/4149017-eng.htm
http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/health_safety/compensation/index.shtml