Working through the pain

Chances are, it’s happened to you or someone you care about. While at work, you feel that familiar pain coming on. You may experience back pain when sitting in a meeting, standing in place or even walking across the office. But when you have back pain, it not only affects your productivity and job performance, it can also pause your path to career success.

Work-related back pain is more common than most people realize. In fact, according to the American Journal of Public Health, an estimated 149 million days of work per year are lost due to low back pain. Despite this staggering statistic, most employees choose to suffer silently with their symptoms and push through the pain, rather than tell their bosses what’s going on.

Dealing with back pain at work isn’t anything Dwylett or Ret. LTC Hubbard signed up for. Both were top performers at their respective organizations until chronic back pain showed up at the most inopportune time — while they were on the job.

“My performance is directly tied to my compensation and for that to be in jeopardy, over back pain, made me pretty darn emotional and pretty darn scared,” Dwylett explained. But it wasn’t until her manager asked what was going on, that she knew it was time to seek help.

“I felt worthless as an employee, worthless as a person. I didn’t like living in that state of fear, which is why I knew I had to do something,” she said.

Like Dwylett, Ret. LTC Hubbard was also adversely impacted by his painful symptoms at work. At times, his back pain became so intense, he could no longer hide his anguish.

“There would be times when I would literally put my head on my desk,” he said. “But I didn’t want to tell anybody. I was in pain so much one time, I parked my car outside the medical unit until I thought I could drive home.”

What Dwylett and Ret. LTC Hubbard endured brought both to realize they didn’t need to live or work in pain anymore. And that’s when they contacted Laser Spine Institute and got their lives, and careers, back on track.

“I’m exceedingly grateful that Laser Spine Institute stepped in and actually fixed me,” said Dwylett. “They didn’t give me a pill, they didn’t give me physical therapy, they fixed me.”

Ret. LTC Hubbard also underwent his minimally invasive spine surgery at Laser Spine Institute and said they gave him something no one else ever had — hope for the future.

“I trusted Laser Spine Institute because they were immediately professional as soon as I came in there and they gave me hope,” said Ret. LTC Hubbard.

Are you wondering how to cope when you have low back pain? Here are some simple steps you can take while working with back pain.

• Get the right chair
• Take breaks
• Go for a walk
• Stretch
• Hydrate
• Eat right

If you’re still suffering from back pain, even after getting conservative therapy and making these lifestyle changes, contact Laser Spine Institute. Our minimally invasive spine procedures could help you get the lasting relief you deserve.