Managing Acute Back Pain While Working as a Nurse

Learn more about tried advice for keeping your back healthy and pain-free while helping your patients.

Back pain is a common ailment for people working in the medical field. In fact, studies show that as many as 70% of nurses suffer low back pain over the course of their career. Many even claim that back pain is a major physical reason for retiring or changing professions. It can be exacerbated by multiple causes, including heavy lifting (patients), long work hours, and improper balance of sleep, diet, and exercise. While back pain is a common ailment for the people working in the medical field, it can be prevented, or, at the very least, managed.

Back Pain Prevention

Prepare Your Body

When it comes to the physical stress of being on the floor, the one of the best means of prevention for back pain is learning how to do it right. Adding a stretching routine to your workday, as well as practicing good posture and the proper way to lift heavy weights go a long way in maintaining your back health.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

The right shoes can sometimes make all the difference. Studies show that on average nurses walk 4 miles per shift. Ensuring you have the right arch support, cushioning, shock absorption, and heel height is crucial to good posture and back health.

Maintain Your Sleep-Diet-Exercise Balance

Nursing is a high-stress occupation for both your physical and mental health. In order to successfully manage that stress, your body needs sufficient rest, the proper nutrients and hydration, as well as regular physical exercising to strengthen your body and process stress hormones. Maintaining that balance can also help you get to a healthy BMI and avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking and binge eating.

How to treat back pain

If you’re having back pain troubles, the best course of action is to consult your physician. While the symptoms can be similar, the root cause of it could be different, which will affect the efficacy of the treatment. Sometimes simple lifestyle change (like adding stretching to your routine, losing weight, and increasing physical strength) can help, while other times a medical intervention is necessary for the safe treatment of your ailment.

Sources & Useful Articles

Mayo Clinic. Back exercises in 15 minutes a day. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/back-pain/art-20546859
National Library of Medicine (NIH). Back safety. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519066/
Nursa. Tips to overcome lower back pain working as a nurse. https://nursa.com/blog/tips-to-overcome-lower-back-pain-working-as-a-nurse#:~:text=Nurses%20are%20even%20more%20vulnerable,the%20physical%20demands%20of%20nursing.&text=One%20of%20the%20best%20ways,is%20to%20strengthen%20your%20spine.

Managing Acute Back Pain While Working as a Nurse