What are the Most Common Workers’ Compensation Back Injuries?
The most common serious back problem we see involves damage to one more discs. Discs are spongy cushions that separate your bony vertebrae and allow your spine to bend. One type of damage to your disc can be a disc bulge. This means that the spongy disc material has been displaced and is pressing against some spinal nerves. Bulging discs are often treated conservatively, with injections of pain killers, physical therapy and rest. In some instances, your doctor may recommend surgery to trim away the bulging disc material. A more serious disc problem is called a “herniated disc” (it is often abbreviated as an HNP in medical reports). A herniated disc is usually more serious than a bulging disc because it means that some of your disc material has been squeezed out of the disc, resulting in direct pressure on the nerves of your spinal cord. Left untreated, a seriously herniated disc can result in severe pain, numbness and even permanent damage to your spinal cord. A classic sign of a herni
