Construction Sites Are Creating an Epidemic of Chronic Back Injuries That Could End Careers

Construction workers face one of the highest risks of back injuries among all professions, with back injuries being the most common injury in construction. The physical demands of construction work, combined with repetitive motions and heavy lifting, create a perfect storm for long-term spinal damage that can affect workers for decades. Understanding these risks and available treatment options is crucial for anyone working in this demanding industry.

The Hidden Dangers of Daily Construction Tasks

The building of bridges, tunnels, and skyscrapers requires a great deal of heavy lifting and repetitive movements, placing employees at high risk for debilitating overexertion injuries and disorders. What makes construction work particularly dangerous is that back disorders can develop gradually as a result of microtrauma brought about by repetitive activity over time or can be the product of a single traumatic event. Because of the slow and progressive onset of this internal injury, the condition is often ignored until the symptoms become acute, often resulting in disabling injury.

Overuse and overexertion are common causes of musculoskeletal injuries—injuries to the muscles, joints, and tendons—which account for about 25 percent of non-fatal, work-related injuries in the construction industry. The most vulnerable workers include bricklayers and masons who have the highest rates of back and overexertion injuries in the construction industry, along with carpenters, electricians, and other trades professionals.

How Heavy Lifting Creates Long-Term Spinal Damage

The spine wasn’t designed to handle the constant stress that construction work demands. Repetitive heavy lifting or sudden strain can cause the soft inner material of spinal discs to bulge or rupture, leading to severe pain, numbness, and weakness. Additionally, overstretching or tearing of muscles and ligaments due to improper lifting techniques can result in intense pain and reduced mobility.

Nearly half of all musculoskeletal disorders related to construction work are back injuries, including slipped discs, nerve damage, and muscle strain. The daily toll of lifting, bending, reaching, and pulling heavy or awkward objects can degrade and weaken the spine, causing permanent limitations that may force workers into early retirement.

The most concerning aspect is that left untreated, these injuries can lead to long-term health complications, limiting a person’s ability to perform daily tasks efficiently. Workers may experience severe back injuries that put pressure on nerves, causing tingling sensations, weakness, or pain radiating down the legs (sciatica).

Repetitive Motion: The Silent Career Killer

While acute injuries from falls or accidents get immediate attention, repetitive motion injuries often go unnoticed until it’s too late. Constant twisting and bending of the spine and holding awkward positions can result in a cumulative trauma injury, such as tendonitis. As the muscles and ligaments weaken, the odds of suffering a sudden injury as a result of the daily-wear-and-tear increase.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI), also called “wear and tear” injuries, can occur in every type of profession where a person is performing a motion repeatedly. Regardless of the job, when a person performs the same motion repeatedly for an extended amount of time, it can damage muscles, tendons, or nerves. They develop over time and have a cumulative effect.

Construction workers engaged in repetitive actions can lead to cumulative trauma and strain on the back muscles. Workers engaged in tasks like welding, painting or plumbing are particularly susceptible to these injuries.

Comprehensive Treatment Options for Construction Back Injuries

When construction workers suffer back injuries, seeking proper treatment is essential to prevent long-term complications. Modern treatment approaches focus on both immediate pain relief and long-term rehabilitation.

Chiropractic Care: Addressing the Root Cause

Chiropractic treatment offers a non-invasive approach that’s particularly effective for construction-related back injuries. By focusing on the alignment of the spine and musculoskeletal structure, chiropractic care can help alleviate pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall spinal health. Chiropractors use non-invasive techniques such as spinal adjustments and manipulations to correct misalignments, thereby reducing pressure on nerves and promoting natural healing processes.

For construction workers dealing with work-related injuries, an injury chiropractor can provide specialized care that addresses the unique demands of physical labor. When work-related tasks, slips, falls, or excessive sitting lead to back sprains or strains, a chiropractor may apply various stress-relieving techniques to increase flexibility, expand range-of-motion, and alleviate pain. Chiropractic treatment may focus on relaxing the muscles using heat to loosen them before gently massaging the affected area. Topical ultrasound devices send heat and vibrations through the skin to reach the afflicted muscles for tension and pain relief.

Physical Therapy: Building Strength and Preventing Re-injury

Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in both the recovery from and prevention of spinal injuries among construction workers. Physiotherapists focus on restoring function and movement through personalised exercise programmes, manual therapy, and education.

Physical therapists develop customized exercise programs to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine, improve your flexibility, and enhance your posture. By targeting specific muscle groups, these exercises help stabilize the spine and relieve pressure from injured areas.

Integrated Treatment Approaches

The most effective treatment often combines multiple approaches. Research shows that the total average cost in the chiropractic group was $48.56 lower than the PT group, while the daily adjusted life years (DALY) in the chiropractic group was 0.0043 higher than the PT group. However, in some cases, patients benefit from a combination of chiropractic care and physical therapy.

By combining these disciplines, treatment centers are able to offer customized, holistic treatment plans that address back pain from all possible angles. The two practices are extremely complementary and together, go even further in preventing future injuries or health problems.

Prevention: The Best Medicine

While treatment options are available, prevention remains the most effective approach. To prevent back injuries, avoid lifting more than 50 pounds, stay out of awkward postures, and never twist when lifting. Use carts, dollies, forklifts, hoists, or another worker to help you lift heavy materials.

Best practices for preventing injuries include hiring competent workers, providing proper training on safe lifting techniques, and requiring employees to follow safety protocols when performing heavy lifting or repetitive movements.

Seeking Professional Help

Construction workers experiencing back pain shouldn’t wait for symptoms to worsen. Early intervention is key to preventing chronic conditions and maintaining long-term career viability. At Chiropractic First in Wyoming, Michigan, Dr. James Heath and his team understand the unique challenges construction workers face. Their comprehensive approach focuses on listening to patients, addressing pain and physical limitations, and helping improve both the quantity and quality of life through high-quality chiropractic services.

Whether dealing with acute injuries from accidents or chronic pain from repetitive motions, professional treatment can make the difference between a temporary setback and a career-ending condition. Don’t let back pain become a permanent part of your life – seek treatment early and get back to doing what you do best.