One of the main ways that employees are hurt in a medical setting is when trying to lift patients or heavy equipment. A doctor or a nurse who is straining to perform these lifts can suffer a significant back injury. This could make it impossible for them to work, as they need medical treatment and time at home to rest and recover.
But exactly how long is that recovery going to take? It depends on the type of back injury that was suffered.
Strains and sprains
A back strain means that a tendon or a muscle has been injured. Tendons connect muscles to bones, but both tendons and muscles can be strained when a person performs a heavy lift, especially when they have to twist or lift at an awkward angle. A back sprain, on the other hand, means that a ligament has been damaged. Ligaments are similar to tendons, but they connect multiple bones.
Either way, a back strain or a sprain can take weeks to heal. It often just requires rest while the damaged tissues heal, and coming back to work too quickly could cause a more severe injury or aggravate the existing injury.
A slipped disc
On the other hand, a medical professional could suffer an even more serious back injury, such as a slipped or herniated disc. This means that a disc in the spinal column has come out of place, so it’s not just a soft tissue injury. Medical treatment may be necessary, including surgery, and it could take up to six months to heal from a slipped disc.
Because of this extensive time out of work, it is very important for those who have been injured to understand all of their legal rights to seek workers’ comp benefits.
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