No matter what your job entails, it is likely that you experience muscle pain, joint pain, and other aches over the course of your work. In fact, some people may even develop arthritis after performing the same tasks for a number of years. For this reason, millions of people rely on pain relief medication and pain patches to get through an average day. But have you ever wondered if your level of work pain was higher than what the average person faces? Listed below are the five careers most likely to need a patch for pain or other pain relief products. Is your job among them?
- Law Enforcement– Law enforcement professionals often go from sitting for hours to running at full speed after a suspect, and will also have to perform a variety of other physicals tasks, including wrestling with noncompliant perpetrators. The emotional pressure and stress can also take a toil, causing lower back pain and stiffness. And don’t forget the high risk of injury, which can cause permanent problems. As a result, police work is one of the most painful careers in modern society.
- Firefighting– On top of handling many of the same problems police officers handle, from stress to a wide array of physical tasks, firefighters are also constantly subjected to extreme heat, long shifts, and heavy lifting. While they suffer fewer injuries on average than police officers, the physical impact the work places on their body often has deeper, long-term effects that can result in years of chronic pain.
- Truck Driving– Truck drivers spend hours in one position and are often unable to exercise regularly on the road. This places a great deal of pressure on the driver’s back. Further complicating things is their demanding schedule: drivers often don’t have time to schedule doctor’s appointments and can’t take anything stronger than over-the-counter pain medication to ensure that they drive safely. For this reason, many drivers will use a patch for pain to avoid side effects of pain relief pills.
- Piloting– Pilots not only remain in one position for long periods and frequently rush from flight to flight, but the atmospheric pressure their bodies are placed under every day can also cause problems. And like truck drivers, pilots are less likely to take time off to see a doctor for fear of being forced to remain on the ground.
- Nursing– Nurses statistically take off the most time from work due to injury. This is due to the stress they put on their bodies through constant bending, reaching, long stretches on their feet, and other tasks. Interestingly, the obesity epidemic is also a factor in their pain levels: as the average patient gets heavier, it becomes more difficult for the average nurse to support the patient’s body.
These are only five of the most painful careers in the United States. Other common culprits include construction work, office work, and even professional dancing. Whether your job is on this list or not, one thing is certain: if your work is something you love, the pain isn’t going to stop you. If your chronic pain levels are becoming unbearable, or you are sick of daily discomfort, consider visiting a doctor, stretching regularly, and taking medication or wearing a patch for pain to soothe your aches. No matter the cause, frequent pain doesn’t have to be part of your daily life or work.