Satterwhite Chiropractic Shares Tips for Lifting Safely to Prevent Back Pain
Have you heard how lifting can be hard on a low back? If you are a Oxford chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You have likely even experienced it directly. Satterwhite Chiropractic explains proper lifting techniques to our back pain patients early on in treatment. It’s essential to keep the spine protected while it heals! New studies report that back supports and even hand support techniques during lifting can help.
MECHANICAL LOADING DURING LIFTING
Mechanical loading is a major risk factor for low back pain. The loading may be from a heavy or light object that triggers Oxford back pain. Much of how the pain comes on is due to how the back muscles act during the lift. Newly designed “exoskeletons” are being explored. They go beyond a back brace but show some promise in reducing lumbar flexion and lowering the compressive force on the back by 13-21% while bending. Peak compressive force during lifting was decreased by 14%. The researchers are optimistic that such devices could reduce the risk of compression-related tissue failure during lifting. (1) For now, Satterwhite Chiropractic focuses on what is available widely today to help our Oxford back pain patients control their back pain once the pain is diminished by controlling their spine-related movements.
CHIROPRACTIC LIFTING TIPS
It would seem that there would be a big difference in spine action between picking up a pencil and lifting a crate, but there isn’t much difference when discussing how the low back responds during lifting. Interesting! Researchers wanted to see if the common way most people pick things up off the floor – with a hand on a thigh for support – made a difference. They thought that it would result in decreased load on the back. The volunteers lifted two types of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers logging every move and muscle response. Retrieving the pencil with a hand on a thigh for support while bending over reduced the average peak total stresses by 17 to 25% (depending on the lifting method). Hand support while lifting the crate dropped the peak total stresses by 13-19% for one-handed lifting and 14-26% for two-handed lifting. (2) Hand support while lifting may protect the low back. Satterwhite Chiropractic has some other ways to limit spinal stress during lifting to control Oxford back pain and its reappearance: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It is a comprehensive treatment plan you’ll want to embrace!
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Alexander on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the effective, gentle treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with spinal stenosis and low back pain.
Make your next Oxford chiropractic appointment with Satterwhite Chiropractic. Lifting can put stress on the the low back. Chiropractic care alleviates the stress on the low back for back pain relief. Contact us today!
