Back Pain is Costing Employers Billions!

Back pain has the #1 reason people go to doctors in America. For employers, back pain, especially low back pain, can bankrupt your company. The Center for Disease Control says that back pain costs employers $1685 per person and nationwide it equates to 225.8 million. The CDC says back pain is the leading contributor to sick days. Low back pain is the most the most common of all back pain complaints. The Corporate Wellness magazine states that low back pain sufferers pays about 60% more on health care costs than people who do not suffer with back pain. Though the medical costs are high, they estimated the cost of lost productivity time is even higher. According to the Corporate Wellness magazine article, of the $100 billion annual costs to the US for back pain, 2/3 are dues to lost wages and productivity time.

Companies usually do the typical things to prevent back pain, like back braces, educating employees about lifting things the correct way, and strength training programs,but unfortunately, while it may help in the short term, many of those can lead to more low back pain in the long term. Let's first look at what causes the back pain and then what you can do to stop. Low back pain is directly related to the quads (front of the thighs) and the inner thighs. When these muscles get tight from sitting too much, lifting, even correctly, working out the legs, and pushing items, it can lead to low back pain. If you feel back pain when you stand too long, or getting up out of a chair, or just getting out of bed, then your quads or inner thighs are causing your back pain. If the pain is on the outer edges of your back, it is the quads. If it is in the middle of your back,it is the inner thighs. If your back hurts when you sit down too long, then the hamstrings are too tight. Back pain occurs because these thigh muscles can tilt the pelvis forward or backward which applies pressure to the lower back and can even compress the vertebrae on the disc leading to bulging discs, or herniated discs.

Stretching is the best way to stop it and prevent it from coming back, however most stretching programs hold the stretch too long and apply too much pressure. This is called strength training disguised as stretching. Most of these stretches do not address the muscles necessary to stop the pain. Correct stretching involves the brain. Only hold the stretch for 3-5 seconds and repeat 8-10 times. As you are stretching the muscle, start breathing out at the beginning of the stretch and continue all the way through feeling the muscle release. Once you stop the immediate pain, you can learn how to actually stretch your calves and hamstrings to avoid injuries from twisting and turning.Can you believe that 99% of America has never stretched their calves or hamstrings correctly and that includes pro athletes as well? Don't believe me? When you stretch your calves do you use a slant board, curb, or lean against a wall? If so, you are only stretching your Achilles tendon. You have missed the inside and outside calf muscle. The same can be said about the hamstrings as there are 3 of those. Calves and hamstrings work together to rotate your body. Rotation of your body starts at the feet and since few people stretch correctly they overwork their back trying to rotate and forcing tight calves and hamstrings to work. the calves are the Rodney Dangerfield of the human body, they get NO RESPECT!

To see how to stretch correctly, visit my YouTube channel, The Muscle Repair Shop or go to my website, www.musclerepairshop.com. I will teach you how to do the stretches the correct way.I did these stretches 16 years ago to stop my back pain and I have never had that pain since,no matter what I do. it can work for you too.