Fernandina Beach Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground appears to be a simple task for most people. It’s a task we do every day typically without question. Amelia Chiropractic Clinic hears stories daily about how difficult it is to pick something up off the ground or how reaching for a simple pencil up off the ground triggered the worst back pain. Our Fernandina Beach chiropractic patients tell us stories like this! Strengthening the quads with exercise as part of our chiropractic services, and lifting slowly and with a few tips in mind can help minimize stress on the spine.
LIFTING TECHNIQUES
When it comes to posture, lifting is a renowned risk factor for low back pain. Lifting techniques like the stoop/lifting with the back, squat/lifting with the legs, and semi-squat/a mix of the other two are well-studied. Squat lifting seems to be the one most report is optimal. One group of researchers presented some odd findings though: squat lift training didn’t prevent low back pain and stoop lifting is not a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two points reckon with appropriate lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture right for each person must be individualized as each lifting posture offers its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation which make particular lifting postures better for particular patients. Researchers explained that stoop lifting was more metabolically efficient and less challenging to the cardiopulmonary system. This set of researchers further suggested working with each individual client on the proper lifting technique appropriate for his/her body and lifting situation following the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Amelia Chiropractic Clinic typically looks at each of our Fernandina Beach chiropractic patients and presents ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are a few tips-and-tricks that may help us all when lifting. A special lifting technique referred to as BATT (a braced arm to thigh, one-handed lifting method to retrieve objects with the dominant hand) substantially decreased low back loading during lifting items of 2 to 10 kg. Trunk flexion angles were significantly reduced. Compressive and anterior-posterior shear forces were significantly lower too compared with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is a simple lifting tip we know our Fernandina Beach chiropractic clients|we can all do! Another is lift slowly which is said to lower loads on the lumbar spinal elements. Stoop lifting had a greater lumbar spine lordosis range of motion and created lower total and compressive lumbar loads than squat lifting (except at L5S1 where anterior shear loads were greater) and freestyle lifting. (3) So slow down when lifting. Use your quads to squat lift. (If they’re not very strong, let’s talk about strengthening them!)
CONTACT Amelia Chiropractic Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses treatment of a man with a disc herniation among other conditions for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation contributed to his relief.
Schedule your Fernandina Beach chiropractic appointment with Amelia Chiropractic Clinic today. When effortless tasks like lifting objects off the floor become difficult, know that Amelia Chiropractic Clinic is here to help find a way to make them better and troublefree for you and your spine!
