Lower back injuries can occur anywhere, anytime and can result from a number of different activities, including work, sports, housework and gardening, as well as being a common injury following an automobile accident.
Work-related lower lumbar injuries are the most prevalent and costly source of injury to American workers.
In fact, back-related injuries are one of the most common reasons people see their doctor.
This type of injury can generally happen if your work requires difficult postures such as bending, twisting or overextending your body.
Diagnosing the cause of a lower lumbar injury is quite difficult and challenging because multiple structures in the lower back region can cause pain.
If you do not feel comfortable with the diagnosis don't hesitate to ask your doctor for a second opinion.
Lower lumbar injuries are extremely common, and healing an injured back can take a long time.
A serious injury to the back can cause permanent damage that will involve years of rehabilitation and severe limitations on the type of work you can perform safely.
Living with back spasms or any other type of lower back injury can drastically reduce the quality of life.
Even if a lower back injury is not initially severe, torn discs or injured vertebrae can result in medical complications that make it difficult to work or engage in normal physical activity.
The limitations brought about by an injury to the back can limit one's private and professional life, making work-related tasks and simple household chores the source of pain.
If an injury to the lower back is recent, you may need a day or two of bed rest, however rest for lower back pain is now known not to be a cure, as rest can cause the muscles to become stiff.
Improper care and excessive rest of a back injury can compound an already existing problem and incite more pain, expense, missed work and reduced daily functioning with every minute that passes.
A back injury can be devastating, but with patience you can overcome any disability it may have caused.
Prevention is the best medicine.
Preventing an injury to the back is much easier than repairing one.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health believes that the most effective way to prevent back injury in the work place is to implement an ergonomics program that focuses on redesigning the work environment and work tasks to reduce the hazards of lifting.
The ultimate aim in avoiding back injury is to identify and eliminate potential risks before any injury is sustained.