Suffering a back injury on the job has a way of turning your life upside down. This is sure to change your daily approach in a variety of ways, often meaning that you are unable to work for an extended period of time.
If you suffer an on-the-job back injury, it’s imperative to seek medical attention. There are two reasons for this:
- To understand your injury and the best treatment strategy
- To improve the likelihood of receiving ‘ benefits
Along with the help of your medical team, there are some at home treatment methods you can employ:
- Don’t partake in physical activity for a few days, as this gives your injury time to heal
- Apply heat and ice at the direction of your medical team
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers when necessary
- Be careful about where you sleep, as you don’t want to tweak your injury
- Don’t jump quickly into too much exercise
In an overall sense, you need to do exactly what your doctor tells you. Even so, your medical team can’t be with you 24 hours a day. You also need to make decisions on your own.
If your doctor feels that you should stay away from work for a longer period, you may want to file a claim for ‘ benefits. By receiving this money, it’s much easier to treat your injury without any additional stress being brought into your life. There is no guarantee that your claim will be approved, but the right approach will put you in position to receive payments soon enough.
Source: MedLine Plus, “Taking care of your back at home,” accessed Oct. 04, 2017
