Back injuries, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), affect more than 600,000 American workers annually and cost more than $50 billion annually. The majority of back injuries are the result of overextension or twisting the spine due to heavy lifting, pulling, pushing or poor posture while sitting for extended periods of time. Common work-related back injuries include lower back strain; bulging, herniated and slipped discs; fractured vertebrae; pinched nerves; and spinal-cord damage.
The type of injury and ultimately the treatment and care provided to the injured worker will influence recovery time. Knowing the root cause of the back injury and the employee’s past medical history (for example, if the employee has a history of chronic back pain or has had a previous back injury) are important in getting and managing the right treatment – from physical therapy to medications, possible surgery, and follow-up.
Managing Care for Better Outcomes
Equally important is for employers to utilize and have relationships with occupational medical providers when possible. Not only do these providers understand the Workers’ Compensation system, they will familiarize themselves with the specific conditions of the employer’s workplace to create a practical, effective treatment plan that returns an injured employee to work quickly and safely with minimal use of opioids if these are necessary.
For example, let’s say an employer owns a factory in which employees are commonly lifting boxes weighing 10 to 20 lbs. An injured worker goes to an occupational medical provider with which the employer has a relationship for treatment. The medical provider understands the duties being performed and can better manage care and assess whether the injured worker is capable of doing any type of modified or light-duty work until he or she is ready to return to pre-injury levels of function. This helps get the worker back on the job more quickly, minimizes lost time, improves employee productivity and morale, and can lower claims costs.
At Prescient National, we encourage employers to, in compliance with state law, establish relationships with medical providers who can assist with proper treatment and successful return to work. Depending on the state, an employer can choose the medical providers and direct care, employees can choose their medical provider, and/or employers provide a medical panel. A medical panel is comprised of a list of physicians or medical networks from which their employees can choose. The list typically contains a minimum number of doctors and specialists and often there are limits on the number of occupational clinics that may be included (again, depending on the state).
