I've been off work four months now due to a low back injury and continued low back pain. I really love my job and want to get back. Should I just go back and take my chances that I can do the work? I'm worried I might re-injure my back and make it worse.
Low back pain (LBP) that lasts more than three months is considered chronic. At this point, it's likely that the soft tissues have healed as much as possible from the original injury. Scar tissue, disc degeneration, pressure on a nerve, or damage to the joints in the spine can cause continued symptoms.
Fear of re-injury or fear of increased pain can lead patients to alter the way they move. This phenomenon is called fear-avoidance behavior. Decreased motion actually makes the situation worse. Sometimes a multidisciplinary (team) approach is needed to get you out of the fear-avoidance/pain-spasm cycle.
A physical and/or occupational therapist will work with you to restore normal motion and movement. With specific, gradually increasing exercise, you will be shown how to increase your activity level with confidence and without increased symptoms.
Studies show that a multidisciplinary back training program is effective in getting patients back to work. There is usually an improved perception of quality of life, too. This is true even when symptoms aren't better or the patient isn't cured.
Ask your doctor about multidisciplinary team back training for you. Let him or her know of your desire to get back to work sooner than later.
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