Sedentary Work Exerting up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Light Work Exerting up to 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of force frequently, and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of the arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most the time, the job is rated Light Work.

Medium Work Exerting up to 50 (22.7 kg) pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of forces constantly to move objects.

Heavy Work Exerting up to 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force constantly to move objects.

Very Heavy Work Exerting in excess of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force constantly to move objects.

Job Classification

In most duration tables, five job classifications are displayed. These job classifications are based on the amount of physical effort required to perform the work. The classifications correspond to the Strength Factor classifications described in the United States Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The following definitions are quoted directly from that publication.

Sedentary Work Exerting up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Light Work Exerting up to 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of force frequently, and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of the arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most the time, the job is rated Light Work.

Medium Work Exerting up to 50 (22.7 kg) pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of forces constantly to move objects.

Heavy Work Exerting up to 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force constantly to move objects.

Very Heavy Work Exerting in excess of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of force constantly to move objects.

Intervertebral Disc Disorders


Related Terms

  • Annular Tear
  • Disc Bulge
  • Disc Herniation
  • Disc Protrusion
  • Intervertebral Disc Calcification
  • Slipped Disc
  • Torn Disc

Medical Codes

ICD-9-CM:
722 - Intervertebral Disc Disorders
722.0 - Cervical Intervertebral Disc Displacement without Myelopathy; Neuritis (Brachial) or Radiculitis Due to Displacement of Cervical Intervertebral Disc
722.1 - Thoracic or Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Displacement without Myelopathy
722.10 - Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Displacement without Myelopathy; Lumbago or Sciatica Due to Displacement of Intervertebral Disc; Neuritis or Radiculitis Due to Displacement or Rupture of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc
722.11 - Thoracic Intervertebral Disc Displacement without Myelopathy
722.2 - Displacement of Intervertebral Disc without Myelopathy, Site Unspecified; Discogenic Syndrome NOS; Herniation of Nucleus Pulposus NOS; Neuritis or Radiculitis due to Displacement or Rupture of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc
722.3 - Schmorls Nodes
722.6 - Degeneration of Intervertebral Disc, Site Unspecified
722.7 - Intervertebral Disc Disorder with Myelopathy

Definition

The spinal column (vertebral column) is made up of 24 movable bones, or vertebrae (7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, and 5 lumbar vertebrae) and 2 fused sections (the sacrum and the coccyx). An intervertebral disc disorder is a protrusion or herniation of one of the gel-like cushions (discs) that separate the vertebrae of the spine. The displaced gel (nucleus pulposus) of the disc may seep through the torn or stretched outer covering of the disc (annulus fibrosus) and press against the spinal nerves or the spinal cord itself, causing changes in sensory, motor, and reflex function (radiculopathy).

Disc disorders of the upper (cervical), mid (thoracic), and lower (lumbar) spine are discussed separately. See Cervical Disc Disorder with Myelopathy, Thoracic Disc Disorders with Myelopathy, and Lumbar Disc Disorders with Myelopathy for more information.

Incidence and Prevalence: Before age 40, approximately 25% of people show evidence of disc degeneration at one or more levels. Past age 40, more than 60% of people show evidence of disc degeneration at one or more levels on MRI (Furman).
Asymptomatic cervical disc herniation is present in 10% of individuals younger than 40 years and in 5% older than 40 (Furman).
Incidence of cervical spine disc herniation with radiculopathy is 5.5 per 100,000 population, as opposed to self-reported neck pain, which occurs in 21,300 per 100,000 population (Hogg-Johnson).
Thoracic disc herniation is rare, occurring in 0.1 per 100,000 population and comprising 0.75% of all disc injuries (Hannani).
Lumbar disc herniation occurs 15 times more frequently than disc herniation in the cervical spine ("Herniated Nucleus Pulposus").
Lifetime prevalence of lumbar disc disease resulting in sciatica is 5% of males and 2.5% in females (Sahrakar). Individuals between 30 and 55 years of age are most at risk for acute lumbar disc herniation, with 90% of injuries occurring at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels (Palacio).

Source: Medical Disability Advisor






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