Nurses and Back Pain - Part 1

IntroductionNursing and back pain have become nearly
This article is to help nurses and carers with back painsynonymous as one study places the lifetime risk of
to give them alternatives with the practice of yoga.lower back pain for nurses as high as 90%.
Please bare in mind if you have concerns regardingWith regard to neck and shoulder pain, your neck
your exercise programme please talk to your health(cervical spine) is aligned in a natural curve at the top
professional or doctor.of your spine. Damage to your neck's natural curve
Paincan cause severe neck pain. Your neck protects your
Nurses and carers with back pain are the subjects ofspinal cord and spinal nerves, while supporting and
this study. Pain can occur in the sacroiliac joints (wherebalancing the weight of your head. Poor posture, wear
the sacrum connects to the pelvis), called sacroiliacand tear, injury, stress, and tension can strain and
joint dysfunction, and in the coccyx (tailbone), calleddamage vital parts of your neck, resulting in neck pain.
coccydynia. One study showed nursing students whoHealth
had back pain by the end of their first year in school;With back pain cases where the work absence is
this was before the students had patient contact.greater than six months creating 70% of worker
Nurses who had back pain in school were more likelycompensation costs, back pain relief for nurses should
to have back pain during their nursing years.become a front burner issue for healthcare facilities.
Back pain with leg pain (sciatica) was linked with lifting,The information should NOT be used in place of visit
twisting and bent postures. Actual injuries onlywith your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard
accounted for a small number of nurses' back pain.the advice of your health care provider because of
The authors concluded it may be possible to predictany information you read in this topic.
which nurses will develop back pain during their earlyEducating nurses in how to prevent lower back injuries
years of nursing. It seems that pain and symptoms arein the workplace along with improving working
already present and get triggered or made worseconditions will allow healthcare facilities to realize
during school/work.significant savings in worker compensation costs as
While nurses work hard to relieve pain in others,well as provide a better working environment for
nurses with back pain and or sciatica are morenurses.
prevalent than workers in most other professions.