It’s More than Just Physical: How Back Pain Can Impact Your Work Performance

Few things in your day-to-day life are as disruptive as back pain. It can make it hard to sit, stand, and even sleep. All of these symptoms can throw your most basic routines out of sync. It only makes sense that with something as far-reaching and impactful as back pain, your work performance can suffer as a result, no matter what your daily workload looks like. Symptoms like exhaustion, irritability, and an increased risk of burnout can all stem from back pain and can have a domino effect on your life and work.  It’s important to know how the pain affects you and what you can do to both help minimize it and stop it before it starts. 

It All Stems From the Physical

It seems obvious, but the problems that arise from back pain begin with the physical symptoms. The physical pain is the primary driving force behind so many of the problems that can arise from back issues. In addition to the uncomfortable sensation of pain, it leads to other problems as well. The spine plays an incredibly central role in your body’s structure, so when you experience back pain, it can radiate to other areas of your body. Overcompensating to lessen the effects of back pain puts additional stress on other body parts like hips and knees. If left untreated, the pain can worsen and result in conditions like nerve root compression, which can lead to a host of other, severe medical conditions. 

Because the experience of pain is the most noticeable symptom, it’s easier to see how it has a direct effect on your life and work. Increased stiffness can make it more difficult to complete routine tasks, even things as simple as walking. The constant presence can be draining and can cause even simple tasks to require much more effort, making it more difficult to take on more than the bare minimum. All of these combine into a workday that is exhausting and tedious, which can contribute to feelings of burnout even from tasks that you would have found enjoyable or easy under normal circumstances.

Pain Carries a Mental and Emotional Weight

Back pain is about more than just its physical effects. Regularly experiencing pain can heighten negative emotions and put a much greater strain on your mental health. When you spend your days forcing yourself to overcome physical pain, it can be very mentally exhausting as well as physically draining. It’s imperative to be able to manage your emotions at work, something that becomes much more difficult when your baseline is rooted in pain and other negative feelings. This can lead to irritation and cause you to snap at coworkers or team members. It’s difficult to focus on others while you are experiencing all of the negative emotions that accompany back pain.

With so many companies placing emphasis on mental health, it’s important to understand that your physical health is also a part of that. A healthy mind needs a healthy body, and vice versa. Chronic pain can often lead to higher levels of depression and anxiety both at home and in the workplace. Prioritizing your mental health also means taking the necessary steps to reduce pain and any other stressors that may have a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being. 

Day-to-Day Impacts at Work

Back pain can cause a daily struggle for you at work. In addition to having difficulty physically performing tasks or the potential to snap at coworkers or customers, it can negatively affect the quality of your work. When you’re distracted by the pain, you may make errors that take time and resources to correct or fall behind on deadlines. The work that you are completing likely isn’t up to your standards, as it can be hard to give your job your all when suffering through pain or limited by it. 

If your work causes the injury to flare up, it can also make going into work an experience that you dread. It can cause resentment to build, which only adds to the negative feelings that chronic back pain is already so good at causing. This snowball effect encompasses every aspect of your daily operations, from your interactions with coworkers and customers to your level of performance.

Strategies to Combat Back Pain

While back pain may feel like a problem that is difficult to tackle, there are ways to help lessen and overcome it so you can return to feeling like yourself again. Start by exploring any wellness ecosystems that your company has in place. This may include mental health support to help deal with negative emotions, as well as physical programs that can get you back on your feet. By approaching the problem holistically, you can get a better handle on how to prevent pain from starting and address it when and if it arises again. 

Keep in mind that your workspace plays a huge role in your physical wellbeing. Whether you are working from home or in the office, ensure that you have the tools to keep your body in the right shape. Supportive shoes, ergonomic chairs, and good lighting are all things you can add to your workspace to ensure the most supportive space to help keep you healthy. And it’s not just about the physical space, but the time in which you work as well. Build in time for stretching and decompressing into your day to get ahead of the pain before it has the chance to become an issue.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your coworkers and management about the pain you are experiencing. While it can be tempting to try and hide your discomfort, keeping your team informed about what is going on will provide you with the support you need. This can allow for the flexibility that will keep you doing your best work even on days when you are experiencing high levels of pain that may be interfering with your work. 

Conclusion

Back pain is an issue that can have far-reaching effects on both your home and work life. The pain is more than just physical; it’s a mental and emotional strain that causes performance and morale to fall to the wayside. Understanding these effects and how to treat back pain is the first step to getting you back on track at work and keeping the pain from interfering with your life.

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Sherjan Husainie is the Founder of KIRO,  the world’s most advanced chiropractic brand. He studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Toronto and Financial Engineering at UCLA Anderson. Before founding KIRO, Sherjan worked at Google and was a Vice President in Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley. His mission is to make modern, accessible chiropractic care available to 100 million members globally.