Sitka Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground seems like a simple task for most folks. It’s a task we do every day mostly without a second thought. Clients at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka share these kinds of stories every day about how hard it is to pick something up off the ground or how picking up a simple pencil up off the ground triggered the worst back pain. Our Sitka 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 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 didn’t stop 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 proper 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 which make 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 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) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka typically looks at each of our Sitka chiropractic patients and presents 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 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 a simple lifting tip we know our Sitka chiropractic clients|we can all do! Another is lift slowly which is said to lower 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) So slow down when lifting. Use your quads to squat lift. (If they’re not very strong, Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka has some exercises to strength them!)
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes 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 Sitka chiropractic appointment with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become problematic, know that Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is here to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!
