Carrolltown Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting an object off the ground appears to be a simple task for most folks. It is a task we do every day typically without a second thought. Clients at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation share these types of stories every day about how difficult it is to pick something up off the ground or how reaching for a simple pencil up off the ground precipitated the worst back pain. Our Carrolltown 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 potentially limit 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-documented. Squat lifting seems to be the one most report is optimal. One group of researchers stated some odd findings though: squat lift training did not stop low back pain and stoop lifting isn’t a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two findings reckon with proper lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture right for each person must be individualized as each lifting posture has 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 recommended working with each individual patient on the proper lifting technique suitable for his/her body and lifting situation using the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation usually looks at each of our Carrolltown chiropractic patients and offers ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are some tips-and-tricks that may help us all when lifting. A special lifting trick 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 contrasted with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is an easy lifting tip we know our Carrolltown chiropractic clients|we can all do! Lifting slowly is another idea that reportedly lowered loads on the lumbar spine. 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) Therefore slow down when lifting. Use your quads to squat lift. (If they’re not very strong, Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has some exercises to strength them!)
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
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 issues for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation contributed to his relief.
Schedule your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment with Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become problematic, know that Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is ready to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!
