Work injuries are on the rise. In 2019, nearly three percent of American workers suffered from an injury at work. That totals 2.8 million Americans.

Office managers are taking steps to promote workplace safety, like running annual seminars on safety protocols. But they're not working.

One reason is that they are not looking at common work injuries. Once you know what they are, you can then look at practical steps to reduce workplace accidents.

Start right here. Here is your quick guide to common work injuries and prevention strategies.

Vehicle Accidents

Millions of Americans drive as a part of their jobs. Even a fender bender can lead to serious injuries.

One of the most common injuries is whiplash. The rapid movement of the head and neck can tear muscles and tendons. A person can experience severe neck pain that spreads down into their arms.

Many people suffer from bruises and cuts. They may strike something in their vehicle, opening up their skin.

More serious injuries include traumatic brain injuries. These are not as common as whiplash, but a minor car accident can cause them.

If your business is dependent on driving, go over driving safety in regular meetings. Mandate that all employees wear seatbelts.

Remove all distractions from the interior of vehicles. This includes cell phones and laptop computers.

If you need to communicate with a driver, wait until they have pulled over. Give them a short phone call that they can take on a hands-free device.

More than 100,000 accidents occur every year from drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. Tell your drivers to pull over and take a nap if they feel tired. Require them to take breaks after several hours on the road.

If you have moving vehicles within your workplace, practice the same discretion you would use for cars. A forklift or golf cart can cause the serious injuries that a truck can. Drive slowly with seatbelts and helmets on.

Falls

Some people slip but catch themselves from hitting the floor. Others fall onto the ground. Others fall through a surface or off a ladder onto a lower level.

Any one of these falls can cause injuries. Like in a car accident, a slip can cause whiplash. A person's head can snap forward, pulling their neck muscles.

Falling onto a hard floor can break bones and create a traumatic brain injury. Internal blood vessels may rupture, causing bleeding into an organ or cavity. A person can also suffer a serious bruise or cut.

Falls from ten or more feet can fracture the spine. Most falls from thirty or more feet are fatal.

Provide hand railings and grips against most surfaces in your office space. Clean up any spills with vacuums and towels.

All employees should wear shoes with firm grips. You can buy your employees work boots if your floors are very uneven.

Uneven flooring and hazards should receive signage. These signs should be more than ten feet away from the hazards themselves. They should include a visual displaying the hazard and text describing it.

When an employee is climbing up a ladder, another employee should hold onto it. They can wear a harness for added support.

Overexertion

Pulling, pushing, and carrying objects can produce muscle strains. A person can damage their back from failing to hold objects from the bottom.

They could also slip and drop an object on themselves. The heavy load can cause bruising, bone damage, or internal bleeding.

Whenever possible, employees should use tools to move objects. Handcarts and pullies will prevent an employee from straining themselves.

Employees should work in groups when moving objects. Even if one person is using a cart, another person should direct them. A moving cart can harm someone if it strikes them.

Before moving an object, an employee should stretch. Many people stretch only their arms, but they should also stretch their back and hips.

When they lift an object, they should crouch down. Then they should rise using their hips. They should hold an object with both hands from the bottom, using any handles or grips on it.

Repetitive Motion Injuries

Repetitive motion injuries are similar to overexertion. But they involve fine motor skills.

A person working a desk job can hurt themselves typing on a computer or writing things on a notepad. They can pinch the nerves in their arms, causing carpal tunnel syndrome.

A person can strain their eyes looking at a computer screen for too long. They can also hurt their neck and back through bad posture.

Like with overexertion, stretches can help. Employees should get up and stretch their arms and head every hour or so.

They should give their eyes a break after a long period of staring at electronics. They can read a book or look away at a far corner of the room for twenty seconds.

Employees should adjust their chairs and desks, so they practice good posture. Their feet should rest firmly on the floor. Their shoulders and hips should be level and parallel to each other, with their skulls perched on top of their spines.

They should not have to bend down to reach their desk. But they should be able to rest their arms against it. Each employee should be allowed to adjust their desk until it is right.

The Most Common Work Injuries

Work injuries are devastating. But you can diminish the pain if you know the most common ones.

Automobile accidents and falls cause whiplash and traumatic brain injuries. Mandate careful driving and walking practices. Ask your employees to wear seatbelts and provide handrails.

Overexertion can tear muscles and cause bruising. Team employees up when they move objects. Prevent repetitive motion injuries by stretching and adjusting your employees' posture.

Get treatment if you suffer from an injury. AZ Pain Doctors is Arizona's leading clinic for office injuries. Schedule an appointment today.

Your home is your castle. That doesn't mean it is immune from home accidents.

While many people may consider their home to be a safe space, the facts and the statistics don't lie, unfortunately. 75% of all deaths from injuries in 2018 were preventable. Most accidents occur in the home, then.

With that in mind, what are the most common home accidents? Continue reading below so you can understand and prepare yourself!

Falling Down: the Young and the Old

Falling is one of the most common household accidents. Whether you are young or old—especially if you are older—falling can happen to anyone.

While some falls may just take you to the ground, there are more serious falls to worry about too. These more serious falls may result in serious injuries such as broken bones.

More serious falls can also lend themselves to concussions or even death. This is why it is important to take precautions to prevent falls in your home.

Child-locked gates for young children can help prevent a fall for them. For older people, installing hand bars, such as in the shower, can also help prevent falling accidents and injuries. You can renovate or replace your railings and banisters too to help prevent home accidents like falling.

Getting Burned and Other Fire-Related Accidents

Getting burned or dealing with other fire-related accidents is a top concern for those who are young children and those who are older, entering their senior age. In the middle of those age ranges, while you can experience a burn or a fire safety accident, you likely won't.

Everyone assumes the kitchen is where it is at. This is true: keeping young children away from hot stoves or ovens is critical to making sure they do not get burned.

In addition, have you considered other sources in your home that could burn you? Your water heater, if overheated past 120 degrees Fahrenheit, could be the reason why you burn yourself in the shower or when washing your hands.

Besides all of the potential home accidents related to burns, you also need to concern yourself with home fires. You and your family need to make an emergency plan of how to escape the house during a fire situation.

This also means you should replace your smoke alarm batteries as often as they need so that they are accurate and can alert you and your family to a potential fire.

Poisoning: Yes, It Can Happen

Poisoning is one of the major potential home accidents. Let's break it down below between a couple of different kinds of possible poisoning situations.

Poisoning by Injesting Substances

This is a serious problem most often involving children. Children may not know that cleaning supplies or their parent's medication cannot be injected. They are simply curious, but that puts them in danger.

If you can, child-lock cabinet doors where you store cleaning supplies and medications. This helps keep your child unable to access these substances.

Another type of home accident to consider with substances could be alcohol- or drug-related. Again, make sure you are not leaving these substances out to avoid children having access to them.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a drug or alcohol problem, you can follow the CDC's guidance on what to do with excessive alcohol or substance abuse. You could still poison yourself by overdosing with excessive use of these products.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

This one is the silent killer; it is also, sadly, one that keeps people silent. However, it is important to talk about carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

A majority of people across the country are actually concerned about exposure to carbon monoxide. It can be one of many common home accidents that don't result in death, but people can still die from it.

Everyone is at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning, but it can disproportionately affect older people by damaging the brain, the heart, and more.

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home. Because carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, relying on a carbon monoxide detector could save your life.

You should also open your garage door before starting your car. In addition, keep a careful eye on your gas-powered appliances.

Choking or Suffocation

Choking or suffocating is a terrifying home accident. Perhaps you or your loved one chokes on food or a foreign object. Maybe a plastic bag or string gets lodged in a way that begins to suffocate you.

There are ways to try and reduce your risk of choking or suffocating at home. Make sure you are not eating too big of bites to avoid getting large food bites lodged in your throat.

You can make sure trash bags and strings are out of the way. If you have children at home, this is all the more significant because they could suffocate because of those and not be able to get out of it.

Be Prepared for Home Accidents

Falls, burns, poisoning, and suffocation are only some of many home accidents. Drowning and cuts are common home accidents too despite not being discussed in this article.

Hopefully, you feel more prepared for potential home accidents. You understand that most accidents occur in the home, and you now know some ways to try and prevent these accidents from occurring.

AZ Pain Doctors is here for your pain and injuries from home accidents. Schedule an appointment with us so we can begin helping you with your pain.

After an injury, poor sleeping habits, or a build-up of muscle tension, the pain may become constant and unbearable. To better manage this incessant pain, you can seek the help of pain management doctors.

Unmanaged pain can be a barrier in completing daily tasks such as sitting at an office desk or going grocery shopping. If your day is constantly disrupted by unbearable pain, you should look into different pain management options to help you better manage lingering pain.

What is Pain Management?

Pain management gives you techniques and tools to help cope with long-term pain. Nearly 100 million Americans live with long-term pain.

Medical professionals running diagnostic tests to address the root of your pain. They create a treatment plan to help you better live with pain or tension.

How Pain Affects the Body

Long-term pain affects millions of people every day; it can inhibit your energy levels and quality of life. Pain can cause physiological and behavioral changes.

If you live with long-term pain, you may exhibit physiological symptoms such as increased blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate. The periodic flares of sharp pain can also result in goosebumps or pale skin. Pain puts your body into a state of alert that can produce these identifiable symptoms.

Pain can also adversely affect your mental state. The build-up of perpetual pain can result in the inability to sleep, fatigue, a loss of appetite, or mood swings. These psychological shifts can change a person's behavior and affect their ability to function.

Reasons to Use Pain Management Doctors

Finding a pain management doctor can be an exhausting task. It would help if you prioritized finding a specialist who can help alleviate your pain. AZ Pain Doctors has many offices around Arizona and can help you work to alleviate your pain immediately.

Pain is a prevalent thing to deal with. However, when pain begins to inhibit your daily activities and become too unbearable, you need professional help. Pain management professionals use diagnostic tools to help classify your pain and develop a treatment plan.

Find the Real Source of Pain

There are two types of pain addressed by pain management professionals: acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain refers to the residual pain from an injury; this pain is typically short-term. Chronic pain exists outside of the context of an injury.

Pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp sting. Your pain may be concentrated in one area or throughout your body. Being able to define your pain is a primary step in the diagnostic process.

A pain management clinic seeks to identify the source of pain or location of pain to see if it is a byproduct of a greater condition. Identifying the source of the pain allows professionals to create. Comprehensive pain management plan.

Define Treatment Goals

The overall goal of pain management professionals is to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. Depending on if you are suffering from acute or chronic pain, you may be creating a new routine to help alleviate your pain long-term or looking for a short-term solution.

Pain Management Techniques

Pain management services can help improve a patient's overall quality of life by better managing chronic and acute pain. A comprehensive pain management plan can allow patients to experience daily relief.

Medication for Pain Management

Your pain management treatment may include the use of a pain management medication. Typically, medicated treatments are designed for patients suffering from acute pain.

Pain medications such as Asprin or Paracetamol are used to help curb short-term pain. Grabbing your over-the-counter pain medication to help may seem like the right choice. However, the best pain medication depends on what type of pain you have.

You should consult with a pain management specialist to help you choose the right pain medication. A pain management clinic can help you find the most effective medication for pain relief.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps patients manage their pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is designed to allow patients to regain control.

This can be therapeutic when it feels as if their pain has overtaken their lives. Through long-term training, patients can work to reduce muscle tension and decrease their overall pain.

Cognitive-behavioral therapists can use long-term skills and give patients coping mechanisms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for pain management is typically through individual or small group treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy allows patients to independently manage their chronic pain. They can do this once they have mastered proficiency in the pain management skillset.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be a very effective tool in reducing chronic pain. Physical Therapy can help give patients the proper tools to regain control of their lives.

Physical therapy is a great tool in pain management. Patients focus on strength-building exercises and increasing patients' mobility.

Physical therapy sessions may include massages. These are to alleviate inflammation, strength building, and mobility exercises.

Long-term chronic pain can leave you wanting to remain stationary. Increased mobility can relieve muscle tension and produce a steady stream of endorphins to boost your pain tolerance levels.

Massages and Acupuncture

Massages can be used to relieve stress, anxiety, and pain. Massages can increase the production of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine in the body. The release of these neurotransmitters can help to decrease pain and reduce muscle tension.

Masseuses are going to use a variety of pressures to engage your muscles and nerves during a massage. Depending on the location or type of pain you're experiencing, your masseuse may apply pressure to help reduce tension.

Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles into the skin in strategic positions. Although the insertion of these needles is known to cause some slight discomfort, the needles' stimulation increases blood flow and activates the body's natural painkillers.

Use Pain Management Doctors

Pain management doctors specialize in evaluating and treating your acute or chronic pain. Consult a pain management expert near you to improve your quality of life. Connect with us to help you develop a comprehensive pain management plan.

It is a beautiful sunny day outside, and you decide that you want to go to the park to play soccer. All is going well until you suddenly take one wrong step.

You feel a sharp pain. What just happened? Some common sports injuries can occur when you are exercising or playing sports for fun.

These injuries can be relatively easy to recover from, but you have to start treatment right away.

Have you been suffering from a sports injury lately? Keep reading to learn about some of the most common sports injuries and how to treat them effectively.

The Most Common Sports Injuries

When you hear the term sports injury, it is referring to an injury that is sustained during exercise or a sport.

A sports injury most likely refers to an injury to your muscles, tissues, or bones. Any other injury is typically more severe and not caused during exercise.

Here are some of the most common injuries and how you can treat them right away at home.

Shin Splints

If you have shin splints, you will be experiencing pain that is shooting down the front of your leg. Shin splints are seen a lot in runners or someone who intensifies their workouts quickly.

A mild case of shin splints requires icing, stretching, and rest. You can also help the shin splints by having shoes that are very padded and can cushion any impact.

Shin splints can mean that there are stress fractures in your bone. This is a more serious case, so if the problem continues to persist, it is time to go see a doctor.

Hamstring Strain

Overworking or overstretching the hamstring can cause the muscles to strain. You will feel pain and may even see bruising.

Three muscles make up the hamstring and are located directly behind the knee. Because of where the injury is located, even walking can make the injury worse and prolong the healing process.

It is important to rest your leg if the hamstring gets strained. While you are resting, your leg should stay elevated. Add ice to decrease any swelling.

You can also try wrapping something around the hamstring to compress it.

Calf Tear

If you are changing directions quickly, running a lot, or pushing off of something, you might be prone to tearing your calf.

In around a week or two, the injury will most likely be healed if the proper attention to rehabilitation is given. To make a full recovery, you should make sure that you rest and protect the calf from further injury.

Also, add ice and compression to the leg. Elevation takes the swelling down and will decrease the healing time.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is an injury to the tendons of your elbow. The tendons degenerate after repeated use, like repetitive strokes of a tennis racket.

This injury can also occur in avid golf players. However, when you swing the golf club, it affects the epicondyle. So, the inside of the elbow hurts rather than the outside.

Typically, these injuries do not start arising until you are anywhere from 30 to 60 years old.

The best way to treat tennis or golf elbow is to ice and rest the injury. Taking anti-inflammatory medication can help to speed up the recovery time. Physical therapy can also help something like tennis or golf elbow.

There may be a weakness in the muscles or tightness that causes even more stress on the elbow. Going to physical therapy can help you determine the underlying cause and strengthen your body so this injury does not occur again.

Knee Injuries

Did you know that 55% of injuries that occur happen in the knee area? If the knee cap grinds against the leg bone, the movement damages the kneecap's tissue. That is what causes you pain.

Sports like tennis, baseball, basketball, and volleyball are most commonly the culprit.

Make sure that you do not continue to be active with this type of injury. It can end up causing permanent knee damage.

Stop all activity, and try to reduce the pain and swelling with ice. Apply for 15 minutes every few hours or so. Also, bandage the knee to keep the knee cap from moving around too much.

Tearing the ACL

ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament. It connects your thigh to your shinbone right at your knee. Sudden movements or changes of direction can cause this injury.

Sports, like football, skiing, hockey, or netball, all have components that can cause an ACL tear.

When the ACL gets torn, you hear a loud pop followed by intense pain. Put ice on the injury to prevent more swelling, and then seek medical treatment right away. This is not an injury that can be treated at home.

A medical professional needs to diagnose the damage that has occurred. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery may be required.

Take Away the Pain

There are a lot of common sports injuries that you can take care of and heal relatively easily. Shin splints and hamstring strains are very common and just need some rest and ice to feel better.

Some injuries need a doctor's touch. But being in pain is never something that you should endure. If one of these common injuries continues to bother you, it is time to see a doctor.

If you have been experiencing a sports-related injury, come into our office and let us help you feel better today!