The 10 Worst Jobs for Back Pain

In 2016, the North American Spine Society asked their members to rank the professions that they thought were the hardest on backs. These experts in spinal care came up with a list of the top 10 worst careers for someone's back. 

#1 Professional Drivers
#2 Construction Workers
#3 Nurses
#4 Office workers
#5 Manual Laborers
#6 Dentists
#7 Warehouse Workers
#8 Auto Mechanics
#9 Factory Workers
#10 Motherhood and Baby Care

 These professions put a lot of stress on the spine in a variety of ways that contribute to neck pain and back pain. Pregnancy and nursing cause the mother's posture and loads on the mother's spine to change rapidly and dramatically. Doing the same repetitive movements over a long period of time causes muscle fatigue that leads to back pain. Tired and weak muscles don't protect the joints well and they become prone to strains. Working in awkward positions that require bending and twisting and arching of the back can cause back pain and injuries to the spinal joints. When warehouse workers, factory workers and manual laborers spend large parts of their day lifting, pulling and pushing heavy loads, they have a higher risk of a spinal injury. Sitting for long periods without a break is very hard on the spine. Your discs mold and compress with prolonged sitting. As we age the discs do not return to their pre-compressed state as well as they did when we were young. Emotional stress and physicals stress also contribute to tight muscles that lead to neck pain, back pain and headaches. Driving, especially long distances, is very hard on your back and neck. The vibration of the vehicle can "confuse" the muscles that support your back so they don't do a good job of protecting your spine as you bounce down the road. 

The fact is that there are no professions that are exempt from back pain but some professions will predispose people to back pain and neck pain. The key to protecting your back is to avoid being in any one position or posture too long, keep moving, keep stretching and see your doctor of chiropractic regularly.