Lower back pain serves as one of the biggest potential issues that workers across the country face. Not only does it impact more people than almost any other type of common injury, but it can even cost workers like you massive amounts of money.
Just why does lower back pain have such a strong impact on health and finances? And most importantly, is there anything that you can do about it?
The cost of lower back pain
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke examines how lower back pain affects your life. Back pain serves as one of the leading causes of missed work in the United States. In fact, one-half of working Americans suffer from back pain every year. It accounts for 264 million lost workdays every single year as well, which serves as 2 full workdays for every single full-time worker in the nation.
On top of that, lower back pain costs Americans $50 billion in healthcare costs every single year. This does not even figure in the cost of lost wages or decreased productivity, which easily boosts this figure to $100 billion or more.
Personal finance struggles
You can see the impact on your personal finances, too. When you have to take off work for lower back pain, you will not see those paychecks. Unfortunately, at the same time, you likely have to spend money on medical costs such as pain medication or physical therapy. In extreme cases, back pain even requires surgery. This wracks up enormous bills and deprives you of even more work hours.
This combination easily puts workers like you into debt. It is also why those in your position often seek financial compensation to stay afloat during this difficult time.