As a long-haul truck driver, you are no stranger to sitting in one position for hours on end. After all, every time you leave your truck, you add minutes to your already tight pickup and delivery schedules. Still, to keep your back healthy, it is difficult to overstate the importance of standing up and moving around regularly.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, degenerative disk disease is a condition that affects the disks that cushion your spine. After you reach the age of 40, you can expect to notice some signs of degenerative disk disease, such as back pain. Unfortunately, though, your occupation may speed up the condition considerably.
Your spine’s cushions
Between each of the bones in your spine, you have jelly-like disks. Not only do these disks provide some cushion for your spine, but they also help to facilitate movement. If one of these disks ruptures or moves out of place, you may have excruciating pain. Luckily, there are often treatments for herniated disks. Taking care of degenerative disk disease may not be so straightforward, however.
A chronic problem
Unlike herniated disks, which are typically traumatic injuries, degenerative disk disease is a chronic problem. That is, your disks are likely to continue to degenerate for the rest of your life. Being sedentary for extended periods, however, may increase your chances of developing additional complications.
These include the following:
- Abnormal curvature of your spine
- Slipped disks
- Narrowing of the space between your vertebrae
- Abnormal shifting of your vertebrae
Even though degenerative disk disease is a chronic problem that may plague you for the rest of your life, there are often ways to alleviate discomfort. Ultimately, pursuing workers’ compensation benefits may give you the time and financial resources you need to find the right treatment plan.