FACTS

1. Factors such as aging, obesity and poor physical condition can contribute to back pain.
2. Back pain is one of most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. 
3. Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain. It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age.
4. Pain in the upper back is usually the result of poor posture, muscle overuse, or injury.
5. A traumatic injury can also lead to back pain. This may be the result of situations that include:
   

• • car accidents
  • slip/fall
    
  • work accidents
  • lifting incorrectly
    

6. A herniated disc can slip far enough out that it compresses the nearby nerve and cause:
   

• • pain in the arms or legs
  • problems in controlling urination
    
  • weakness or loss of control in legs 
    

STATS

• More than one million back injuries are sustained in the workplace annually.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a back-related injury accounts for one in every five injuries and illnesses at work.
• BLS ran a survey and discovered that 80% of these injuries were to the lower back and 75% of these happened during lifting tasks.
• These injuries affect more than 600,000 American workers per annum, to the tune of more than $50 billion each year.
• Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives.
• 54% of Americans who experience pain, spend most of their day at work sitting.
• Up to 1/3 of back injuries could be prevented through a better designed job workspace.
• Back injuries are the most common reason for nonattendance in the general workforce, after the common cold.
• Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.
• Back injuries made up 41% of ergonomic injury cases.
• Back disorders account for over 24% of all occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work.