St Peters Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground seems like a simple task for most people. It’s a task we do every day typically without a second thought. Clients at Old Mill Chiropractic share these kinds of stories every day about how difficult it is to pick something up off the ground or how getting a simple pencil up off the ground precipitated the worst back pain. Our St Peters 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 suggestions in mind can help minimize stress on the spine.
LIFTING TECHNIQUES
When it comes to posture, lifting is a known 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 set of researchers stated some odd findings though: squat lift training did not prevent low back pain and stoop lifting is not a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two points figure into suitable lifting for back pain prevention and management? They proposed that the lifting posture right for each person must be personalized as each lifting posture offers its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation making particular lifting postures better for particular patients. Researchers described 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 following the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Old Mill Chiropractic typically looks at each of our St Peters chiropractic patients and offers ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are some methods that may support us all when lifting. A special lifting trick referred to as BATT (a braced arm to thigh, one-handed lifting method to pick up objects with the dominant hand) substantially decreased low back loading during lifting items of 2 to 10 kg. Trunk flexion angles were significantly decreased. Compressive and anterior-posterior shear forces were significantly lower as well contrasted with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is an easy lifting tip we know our St Peters chiropractic clients|we can all do! Another is lift slowly which reportedly lowered loads on the lumbar spinal elements. Stoop lifting had a larger 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 higher) 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 Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes treatment of a man with a disc herniation among other issues for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation assisted in his relief.
Schedule your St Peters chiropractic appointment with Old Mill Chiropractic today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become troublesome, know that Old Mill Chiropractic is ready to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!
