Relieve and Manage Your Lower Back Pain as a Nurse

As nurses, we're no strangers to backaches, whether mild or severe. Lower back pain is widespread among healthcare workers. In fact, nurses experience a higher rate of back pain than people working in heavy industries, and lower back pain is far more common in nurses than other musculoskeletal problems. So if you deal with lower back pain, you're certainly not alone!

With backache being such a prevalent problem amongst nurses, how can healthcare workers like you maintain optimal back health? 

Lower Back Pain: A Common Problem for Nurses

Lower back pain refers to the lower back, lumbosacrum, sacroiliac areas, or hips. The pain can be mild or severe and can radiate, causing numbness or pain to the legs. Lower back pain is a common issue worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. In the U.S. alone, back pain is responsible for https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519066/billions of dollars in healthcare costs each year. 

Back pain can affect people in any occupation. However, nurses are a particularly high-risk group for backaches, with as many as 90% reporting back pain at some point in their lives.

This is problematic because lower back pain has detrimental effects on productivity and quality of life. For example, nurses suffering from back pain may find it more challenging to feel satisfied at work and can even start to feel burnt out. Some nurses may even leave their profession due to severe lower back pain. Not to mention that chronic pain can affect a person's entire sense of well-being. 

If left untreated, acute episodes of back pain could turn into a chronic problem. That's why it's so essential to address lower back pain as early as possible. 

What Causes Lower Back Pain in Nurses?

Nurses are vulnerable to low back pain due to the demanding nature of our jobs. Nurses who provide direct beside patient care often perform heavy lifting when moving and repositioning patients. Heavy lifting is a significant risk factor for low back pain, as it can put a strain on the low back, potentially leading to acute or chronic back pain. 

But the heavy lifting isn't the only culprit of backaches. Long periods of standing and walking can lead to compression in the lumbar spine and subsequent back pain, as well as certain types of work.

Some nursing specialties reveal higher rates of back pain than others, such as nurses working in intensive care units. Studies have found the highest prevalence and severity of back pain in nurses who work long shifts, perform tasks while bending over, reposition patients, or don't use equipment to help them do so. These factors put nurses at a higher risk for backaches.

Muscle weakness can also contribute to lower back pain. If some of the spinal muscles are weak, the spine is less able to maintain lumbar stability with repetitive or twisting motions. Poor posture and repetitive movements that compress or twist the spine can lead to a sore back.

Preventing Lower Backaches

Sometimes, nurses experience acute back pain, which often resolves within twelve weeks. But if left untreated, acute back pain could turn into a chronic problem. As we have seen, lower back pain can lead to depression, decreased quality of life, and high costs to the healthcare system.

Luckily, there are several vital things healthcare organizations and workers can do to decrease back pain occurrence. 

• Healthy diet and lifestyle. Good health and well-being stem from taking care of the body. Getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating various fruits and vegetables can be the start of a healthy back.
• Staff training on safe patient handling and body mechanics. Studies have shown a decrease in on-the-job injuries when staff was well-trained on safe patient handling. Organizations can help nurses prevent back injuries by providing education on safe body mechanics while working with patients.
• Proper lifting equipment. Just as important as safe patient lifting is having the right tools for the job, such as overhead lifting systems or other mechanical lifts.
• Adequate staffing. Having enough staff on hand could mean that nurses have more help to reposition patients. Organizations might also consider instituting lifting teams, which are teams of people specially trained in lifting techniques that help with lifting patients.

Management of Lower Back Pain

Prevention is always the best medicine, but it may not be possible to prevent back pain 100% of the time. And acute pain can turn into a chronic issue. If this happens, how can nurses find lower back pain relief?

• Stretching and exercise regimens. Doing a stretching program for fifty minutes three times a week has been shown to provide lower back pain relief. In nurses, gentle stretching and exercise regimens can be safe, effective ways to manage lower backache.
• Mind-body exercises such as yoga and tai chi. Much like stretching, healing modalities such as yoga and tai chi have the potential to reduce lower back pain. Not only are these modalities helpful for stretching and strengthening the body, but they're also a great way to reduce stress and practice self-care.
• Core stability training. Core muscle stability training is a powerful way to prevent or manage lower back pain. Having a solid core and engaging it during lifting prevents strain on the lower back. When the core muscles become stronger, muscles in the lumbar spine may also get strengthened, resulting in greater stability and improvement in lower back pain. 
• All nurses need to practice https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519066/safe lifting and maintain good posture. Organizations should also aim to provide adequate breaks and staffing so that nurses can rest and have enough help even during long shifts. 
• Proper footwear. Nurses should wear https://spineina.com/blog/back-pain-in-nurses/comfortable shoeswith good support to decrease bodily stress.
• Firm mattress. Sleeping on a firm mattress will help the spine get the support it needs, easing stress on the back.

The bottom line is, there are many ways to manage lower back pain. With back pain being such a prevalent issue among today's nurses, organizations need to find ways to curb the trend. With proper training, exercises, and body mechanics, you can find relief from lower back aches.