The image is an iconic one: the lazy, crotchety old man who seems fairly capable until called upon to do something they'd rather avoid, at which point they complain about their back and pose dramatically to show how much pain they're in. Joking aside, however, back injuries send thousands of people to the hospital every year, and can cost extraordinary amounts of money both in immediate expenses and in income lost during recuperation.

Back injury is often among the top three causes of accidental injury claims, according to Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company. Those making the claims aren't limited to any one area of society either. Back injury can be caused by continual poor posture due to working at a computer for years at a time as easily as by a single too-heavy load lifted improperly.

This is part of the reason that back injuries must be taken seriously. The first signs might be a simple twinge, but continued use of the affected muscles or spinal region can aggravate the damage immensely. What starts as a simple sprain can develop into serious muscular or skeletal damage if the causes aren't addressed and treatment doesn't begin as soon as reasonably possible.

Most health insurance, particularly work-related health insurance, covers many treatment costs associated with back injuries. The problem is, many plans require high co-pays. This can create a sudden expense burden just when you find out you're going to be out of work for some time while you convalesce. This double-whammy is more than enough to give anyone pause when preparing to seek out treatment. The cure should never be worse than the illness.

One method people are considering when dealing with these situations is voluntary accident plans, which provide more immediate assistance than some health insurance plans, and can reduce the burden of costly co-pays. Another is looking into ways to reduce the risk of back injury with improved posture, better equipment, and more attention to safety compliance issues.

Whatever the solution, the important thing to remember is not to treat back injury as a joke. Any pain that persists for more than a few days could potentially signify something much more serious than 'a backache,' possibly something that could cost quite a bit of time and money to correct.

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