Killer Jobs: 10 Painful Professions

For Some Occupations, Chronic Pain Just Part of the Job

By LARA SALAHI
ABC News Medical Unit

May 21, ABCNews

Does your job pain you?

No matter how much you love your job, there always will be days of strain and headaches. But for some, work brings daily aches and pains that can develop into something worse. In some professions, people suffer the hurt -- but keep going back every day.

For many, the problem is that they don't feel they have the skills necessary to get another job. And even if they can develop new skills, "they're not interested in retraining because they have to start from the beginning again. It's a much lower-paying job," said Mitchell Freedman, director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

"The instance of chronic pain goes up with job dissatisfaction, a feeling of helplessness about your job," Freedman said.

"And you can't get out of the job because it's either do that or not work. You'll do the best you can until finally, your body breaks down," he said.

For some, the pain comes just from sitting in the same position all day, such as police officers on patrol or heavy-truck operators. For others, it comes from repeated motions, such as a blogger typing at the keyboard for hours straight and straining to look at the computer monitor. And for some, the pain can come from both -- such as musicians, who have to sit and play for hours on end.

Some occupations may have more obvious risks, but for a Hollywood stuntman, the need to stay in shape may help the pain go away sooner.

Here are 10 jobs where physical aches can be a regular part of the daily grind.

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photo: Those who work in some professions face a much higher risk of developing chronic pain. (Getty Images)