Millon & Peskin | Attorneys at Law

Call for a free consultation today: 630-449-3884

Photo of office building of Millon & Peskin | Attorneys at Law

Restoring Dignity & Control After An Injury 

Is your back injury an emergency?

On Behalf of | Feb 27, 2024 | Workplace Injuries |

Back injuries are very common on the job. Some office workers have chronic back pain from sitting at a desk all day. Other workers injure their backs trying to lift something that’s extremely heavy or in a workplace accident, like a fall from a ladder.

In some cases, back pain won’t be very severe and just needs treatment at home or perhaps a visit to the chiropractor. But in other cases, it will be incredibly severe and may even be an emergency. Here are a few signs that your situation is serious and you need to get medical care as soon as possible.

You are experiencing sharp pain

When you have a dull ache, it could be muscle fatigue or something of this nature. But sharp pain often means nerve issues or torn muscles and ligaments. In some cases, it could even mean that you’ve injured an internal organ, but it’s just manifesting as sharp back pain.

Feelings of weakness

If your legs suddenly feel weak, even if you can still move, it could indicate that you’re dealing with compressed nerves. It could also indicate that you’re having a stroke. Either way, weakness is far more serious than pain on its own and you need to talk to a medical professional.

Pain that seems to move

In some cases, people will talk about radiating pain, or pain that “moves” through their body. It could be shooting pain that moves down the legs when you try to take a step. In some cases, this pain could be so severe that you can barely move and you certainly could not continue working.

If you do have a serious back injury after a workplace accident, then you also need to know about your options to seek proper workers’ comp benefits.

FindLaw Network