Oxford Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground appears to be a simple task for most folks. It is one we do every day typically without question. Satterwhite Chiropractic hears stories every day about how difficult 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 Oxford 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 suggestions in mind can help minimize stress on the low back.
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-documented. 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 isn’t a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two findings figure into suitable lifting for back pain prevention and management? They proposed 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 making 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 also suggested 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) Satterwhite Chiropractic usually looks at each of our Oxford chiropractic patients and presents ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are some techniques that may support us all when lifting. A special lifting technique known as BATT (a braced arm to thigh, one-handed lifting method to retrieve 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 too compared with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is an easy lifting tip we know our Oxford chiropractic clients|we can all do! Lifting slowly is another idea that is said to lower loads on the lumbar spine. Stoop lifting had a larger 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, Satterwhite Chiropractic has some exercises to strength them!)
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
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 Oxford chiropractic appointment with Satterwhite Chiropractic today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become problematic, know that Satterwhite Chiropractic is here to help find a way to make them better and troublefree for you and your spine!
