Top 10 worst jobs for back pain

10 Risky Professions That Lead To Back Pain

1. Nurses / Medical Professionals: Medical professionals and nurses have to carry debilitated patients to their rooms and beds several times a day. Being on your feet all day and straining yourself can cause long-term injuries.
2. Retail Workers: Retail workers, especially checkout staff, are prone to back pain because of standing in one place for longer. Plus, lifting and bagging potentially heavy objects can exert pressure on your back all day long.
3. Construction Workers: Construction workers must flexibly deal with the workload of lifting, bending, pulling, and handling. Repetitive movements strain muscles, joints, and tendons, thus leading to backache and overuse injuries.
4. Warehouse Workers: Warehouse workers are similar to construction workers because they involve a lot of heavy work. Besides, driving machinery and equipment exposes you to long-term and repetitive vibrations, which may contribute to soreness and backache.
5. Emergency Responders: Police officers, firefighters, and medic workers perform some of the most hectic jobs. Changeable situations may include heavy lifting (people & objects) and the stressful or traumatic nature of their profession.
6. Housekeepers: This job involves cleaning the house by bending down, picking up things, scrubbing, washing, and moving items from one place to another for several hours. 
7. Childcare Professionals: Their main job is to take care of young children, for which they need to carry them. Picking up babies and toys throughout the day can cause serious back pain.
8. Farmers / Landscapers / Gardeners: They suffer from common backache due to daily and harsh physical conditions. Their work mainly involves stooping and bending over, causing chronic back pain. 
9. Auto Mechanics: Their job is to lie on their back or stand under the cars to work with arms raised most of the time. 
10. Cab & Truck Drivers: Drivers spend a lot of their time behind the wheel which may result in intense soreness, stiffness, and aches. Unlike sitting on a desk or in an office chair, there are few and far opportunities to get up and stretch while driving.

Preventing Back Pain at Work

You can take some steps to prevent and avoid back pain and injury at work. For example:

• Pay attention to your posture: To promote a good sitting posture, take a chair that can support the curvature of your spine. While standing, balance your weight equally on your feet. Don't slouch. 
• Listen to your body: If you experience excessive back or neck pain, examine why it hurts more and try not to repeat that particular posture or activity. If you have to sit for a long time, change your posture frequently. Gently stretch your muscles and intermittently walk around to relieve stress.
• Modify repetitive tasks: Use lifting equipment (if available) to support you while lifting loads. Try to substitute physically challenging tasks with less demanding ones. Avoid excessive or unnecessary twisting, bending, and gripping.
• Lift properly: When carrying and lifting heavy objects, tighten your core muscles, and lift with your legs. Keep the object adjacent to your body. Maintain the natural curve of your spine and don’t twist while lifting. If something is too heavy to be lifted safely, ask someone to help you.
• Visit a doctor: Visit a doctor for the best recommendations for the symptoms you are suffering.

The Takeaway:

Back pain can burden your workdays and your free time. But don't stick with it. Check your work environment and resolve situations that may worsen your back. Even simple steps towards back pain relief are the right steps.