Work-Related Low Back Condition Symptoms and Diagnosis are covered by workers compensation benefits in Wisconsin. What are some of the symptoms of low back problems? Symptoms from low back problems vary. They depend on a person’s condition and which structures are affected. Some of the more common workers’ compensation symptoms of low back problems are:
• low back pain
• pain spreading into the buttocks and thighs
• pain radiating from the buttock to the foot
• back stiffness and reduced range of motion
• muscle weakness in the hip, thigh, leg, or foot
• sensory changes (numbness, prickling, or tingling) in the leg, foot, or toes
Rarely, symptoms involve changes in bowel or bladder function. A large disc herniation that pushes straight back into the spinal canal can put pressure on the nerves that go to the bowels and bladder. The pressure may cause symptoms of low back pain, pain running down the back of both legs, and numbness or tingling between the legs in the area you would contact if you were seated on a saddle. The pressure on the nerves can cause a loss of control in the bowels or bladder. This is an emergency. This condition is called cauda equina syndrome. Doctors may recommend immediate surgery to remove pressure from the nerves.
Diagnosis
How will my doctor find out what’s causing my work-related low back problem?
The diagnosis of low back problems begins with a thorough history of your condition. You might be asked to fill out a questionnaire describing your back problems. Your doctor will ask you questions to find out when you first started having problems, what makes your symptoms worse or better, and how the symptoms affect your daily activity. Your answers will help guide the physical examination. It is critically important to your worker’s compensation claim that you clearly tell your doctor the specific, accurate facts of any work-related traumatic injury. Also if your job duties over time have contributed to your low back pain, you must tell the doctor what it is about your job that hurts your back.
Your doctor will then physically examine the muscles and joints of your low back. Your doctor may do some simple tests to check the function of the nerves. The information from your medical history and physical examination will help your doctor decide which further tests to run. Next the doctor may order imaging diagnostic tests.
At McCormick Law Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin our attorneys get the best results where work-related low back condition symptoms and diagnosis are clear in the medical records. Whether its in construction, trucking, factory work, carpenters, laborers, plumbers, warehouse, shipping and receiving, certified nurse assistants or other trades.
