Largo 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 mostly without question. Hollstrom & Associates Inc hears 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 triggered the worst back pain. Our Largo chiropractic patients share common stories like this! Strengthening the quads with exercise as part of our chiropractic services, and lifting slowly and with a few hints in mind can help minimize stress on the low back.
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 set of researchers shared 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 contribute to the discussion of appropriate lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture that is proper for each person must be individualized as each lifting posture possesses its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation making certain lifting postures better for certain patients. Researchers described that stoop lifting was more metabolically efficient and less challenging to the cardiopulmonary system. This set of researchers also recommended working with each individual patient on the proper lifting technique appropriate for his/her body and lifting situation using the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Hollstrom & Associates Inc typically looks at each of our Largo 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 support us all when lifting. A special lifting trick known as BATT (a braced arm to thigh, one-handed lifting method to pick up objects with the dominant hand) substantially reduced 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 Largo 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 produced 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, Hollstrom & Associates Inc has some exercises to strength them!)
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Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses care of a man with a disc herniation among other conditions for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation assisted in his relief.
Schedule your Largo chiropractic appointment with Hollstrom & Associates Inc today. When effortless tasks like lifting objects off the floor become problematic, know that Hollstrom & Associates Inc is here to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!
