5 Simple Lifting Techniques to Avoid Back Pain

Learn to avoid back pain, move the right way, and avoid taking painkillers!

Have you ever lifted something the wrong way and perhaps strained or injured your back? I know I have!  Most of us have experienced this at some point in our life.

In the United States, nearly 6.3 million are injured each year in the workplace. It is the number one occupational injury in the nation.  That’s huge!

It is important to be aware of how we are moving and to learn to decrease the stress we put on our spines so that we can avoid back pain and injury.

The truth of the matter is that even lifting a light load can contribute to an injury.  It isn’t necessarily the weight of the object but how you move that is key.

• muscle strain:  Normally when a muscle is strained it is overstretched and can be quite painful.
• disc herniation: Discs act as shock absorbers in our spine. Improper lifting techniques can cause the disc to move out of alignment. If the disc compresses a nerve it can cause back pain and radiate into the legs.
• muscle imbalance and compensation:  Muscle imbalance happens when certain muscles are perhaps overworking and other muscles may be shut down(are inhibited) and not working optimally to support our trunk.

The goal is to have our muscles working optimally allowing proper movement patterns to happen throughout our day.

As a highly trained physical therapist and movement specialist, I evaluate how my patients move, discover where they are compensating, release those tight muscles and activate those muscles that have been shut down so that they can function optimally.

I want to share with you 5 simple lifting techniques to avoid back pain and injury.

 1.  Assess the load and your surroundings:  It is important to note that if you feel unable to lift a particular load, then don’t!  Listen to your body. You want to make sure you are in a safe environment.  Get some assistance if necessary.

2.  Keep the load or object close to your body:  The further an object or weight is from you the more stress it will put through your spine.

3.  Proper positioning of your body to prepare for the lift:  Stand close to object with feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core, gently tuck your chin and keep your chest wide. Avoid lifting with rotating the body and don’t hold your breath.  Holding your breath can cause compression on the spine.

4.  You want to maintain the normal curve in your lower back.  Squat down and hinge at the hips and knees. Avoid bending with the legs straight.   Don’t allow your knees to move inward.

5.  Standing position:  As you stand back up keep your abdominals tight and avoid backward bending.  Allow yourself to keep the spine in a neutral position.  The neutral spine is the natural curve of your back and the position of the least amount of stress.

If you’re experiencing stiffness/low back pain or you’ve recently injured your back which is restricting you from enjoying the things you love to do click here to set up your FREE Discovery Session.

This 30 minute Session is something that we offer to people who are very nervous or skeptical about Physical Therapy – unsure of its benefits or if it is right for them.

If that sounds like you, then please start with a discovery session so that we can answer all your concerns and questions, work with you to find out what is wrong and what can be done to resolve the problem- without any financial risk on your part.