08-18-2011, 11:00 PM
this all takes place in maine. my job is a sitdown job mon.-frid. 9-5. my pain started with my lower back. i've been employed with this company for over 2 years. i have no history of back pain whatsoever. this is new to me. it started on a day off from having an infected tooth being extracted. i ended up spending 1-2 days barely leaving my bed. the infection was that bad. i woke up had unbareable pain in my lower back. thought i just slept wrong would give it a couple days. well as time went by, pain got worse and started going down into my legs/feet(making them swell and eventually go numb & mainly my right leg). the only time all this occurs is when i sit. instantly lower back hurts. it doesn't go down into my legs/feet unless i sit for a prolonged period of time usually 30 minutes or more. when i stand there is no pain unless i just get up from a sitting position. then pain in back last for 3-5 minutes but my hips hurt and legs throb. they will stop hurting in 5-10mins. if i go from a laying down position to standing, there is no pain unless i bend over. the only time i am in pain is when sitting is involved. my doctor thinks it's sciatica related. i've done xrays-nothing. mri is scheduled nxt wk. the meds i'm on have lessened the pain somewhat but sitting still is very painful. i was referred to physical therapy. physical therapy thinks herniated or ruptured disc. mri should tell us. my doctor wrote a note saying my desk needed to be altered at work so that i can stand because my pain is from prolonged sitting at work(she believes) since standing does not hurt. my employer altered the desk last week but i have to file for workers comp since maine is a free will state so they don't have to comply w dr's notes. i worked one day(not my reg sched shift) with no problems. stood @ my station with no pain the entire shift. my employer then asked me for documentation stating i am able to still work and what restrictions i have. my dr did that. i can work but IF i sit it can only be done for 30 mins then i have to stand for 30mins and my desk needs to be altered so i can see my computer screen at eye level when i do need to stand. i'm fine with just standing. my employer now isn't scheduling me even w that documentation. their reason is i need to be evaluated by their doctor first and they were advised not to alter my desk or accomadate until that is done. yet i was fine to work that one day w the altered station. my company is based in canada. so i'm still waiting to hear back on when i see their doctor, how workers comp. form is going etc. i have gone 2x now to physical therapy. 1x hurt alot with the exercises. i was very sore the nxt day. even standing hurt. 2x felt good. the therapist did stretches and massaged my back, side & butt area. apparently the muscle in my butt was tensed/tight. he showed me stretches to do at home to stretch this muscle in my butt. after he did that he had me sit for 30 mins. w a lumber support roll. i was able to do it. i was VERY surprised. i've been doing my exercises from my 2nd physical therapy since pain lessened. yesterday i did the sitting w lumbar roll for 30 mins. then would stand for another 30mins. did this for about 2 hours and did the stretches and pain was still less. as it was the day before at the therapist office. i thought finally something is working and i will be able to sit again with no pain in time. today doing them, killed. i'm right back where i started from. i can't even sit for 30 mins w lumbar before it shoots down to my leg/ft. so i gave up doing them today. i stood or laid down most of the day.
my ? is after all that explaining but i really need the advice/help on this....since i wasn't at work when the pain started and it started after a tooth being pulled(not sure how tooth would relate to back issues) am i able to file workers comp? since sitting is the major pain and cause of the pain. i don't want to waste my time if whomever is going to look at this & laugh then throw it out. i find it very hard to believe that this is all over a tooth.
my ? is after all that explaining but i really need the advice/help on this....since i wasn't at work when the pain started and it started after a tooth being pulled(not sure how tooth would relate to back issues) am i able to file workers comp? since sitting is the major pain and cause of the pain. i don't want to waste my time if whomever is going to look at this & laugh then throw it out. i find it very hard to believe that this is all over a tooth.
