Have your employees called in sick to work lately because they have a “slipped” or "ruptured" disc in the back? Have they complained that their back “went out” and that they have a burning pain centered in the lower back? Or have they complained of a shooting pain that begins in the buttocks and goes down the back of one leg?

Chances are your employees have complained to you about a herniated disc especially in the lower back. Low back pain will affect 4 out 5 people during their lifetime. In fact over 20 million Americans suffer from back pain caused by the derangement of an inter-vertebral disk.

Back injuries cause 100 million lost days of work annually and costs businesses as much as $100 billion every year.

After the common cold, back pain is the second most common cause that Americans call in sick from work. It is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization and the third most common reason to undergo a surgical procedure.

Lower back pain and herniated discs account for 15% of sick leaves. One-fifth of all workers compensation claims are due to low back pain. In comparison to other medical conditions, it causes the greatest loss of productivity.

So, how can you treat back pain and increase you productivity?

When it comes to treating herniated discs, most employees will use traditional treatments such as ice/heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cortisone injections, anti-inflammatory medications and even surgery. While these may deliver some relief, it will usually be temporary if at all.

The major problem with these traditional treatments is that they only address the symptoms of a herniated disc. They do not address the actual cause of the problem. For example, even if your employees were to have invasive surgery and get some pain relief, the fact is the root cause that caused the disc to become herniated in the first place is still there.

There is what I call the hidden cause, it is over looked by most and it is simply this…

Our bodies adapt and change to our environment and this adaptation will over time cause what are called Muscle Imbalances. Those imbalances will cause what are called postural dysfunctions.

If the dysfunctions are not addressed, they will continue to place uneven pressure and strain on the discs and sooner or later your employees will likely have another problem with that disc, or others. This means more absenteeism, higher costs, and further deterioration in your company's productivity,

To eliminate worker absenteeism related to back pain and herniated discs and increase productivity your employees must learn to identify and address the underlying cause of their problem.

Unfortunately, most doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists don't spend time or focus on identifying the physical dysfunctions that are responsible for the condition. So most employees jump from one useless traditional treatment to the next and suffer with continuous herniated disc flare-ups for months or years unnecessarily.

Here Are 3 Ways to Identify and Address the Underlying Causes of Your Employee's Back Problems So You Can Cut Costs & Improve Productivity:

1. Understand how job function causes back pain: Sitting, Standing and doing repetitive motions all day long will cause, muscle imbalances. Over time this will cause postural dysfunctions that will cause your spine to go into abnormal curvature. This will cause a disc to herniated…

2. Take postural assessment photos: The most persuasive evidence you can show your employees that they are developing postural dysfunction and will over time put themselves at risk for back pain is to take photos. Photograph your employees from the front and from the side. When assessing the photos some things to look for are:

- Are the shoulders level?

- Are the hips level?

- Is the head inline with the shoulders?

- Is the trunk forward or backward of the knees?

- Do you see twisting in the trunk?

3. Hire a professional for the day: Have a qualified professional come to your office. This person should be a Manual Physical Therapist or Personal Trainer trained to assess your posture and design a corrective program.

Understanding back pain and taking action are two totally different animals. No one thinks that it will happen to them. And because it takes so long for our bodies to reach the point of pain, almost no one takes action to prevent back pain. So if back pain is an issue at your work place you should incorporate an incentive based program… one that encourages education and consistent action.