OrthoIllinois 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 McHenry chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You’ve likely even experienced it directly. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic describes proper lifting techniques with our back pain patients early on in treatment. It is essential to protect the spine 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 key risk factor for low back pain. The loading may be due to lifting a heavy or light object that prompts McHenry back pain. Much of how the pain comes on is via the response of back muscles during the lift. Newly designed “exoskeletons” are being explored. They go beyond a back brace but show some promise in decreasing lumbar flexion and decreasing the compressive force on the back by 13-21% while bending. Peak compressive force during lifting was decreased by 14%. The researchers are hopeful that such devices could reduce the risk of compression-related tissue failure while lifting. (1) For now, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic focuses on what’s available widely today to help our McHenry 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 it comes to how the low back responds while lifting. Interesting! Researchers explored how most people pick things up off the floor – with a hand on a thigh for support – made a difference. They proposed that it would lead to decreased load on the back. The volunteers lifted two kinds of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers recording every move and muscle response. Using a hand on the thigh for support while reaching for the pencil on the floor decreased 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 during lifting may help the low back. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic has some other approaches to limit lifting stresses on the spine to control McHenry back pain and its recurrence: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It is a comprehensive treatment plan you’ll want to embrace!
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Alexander on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains the effectiveness and gentleness of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with spinal stenosis and low back pain.
Schedule your next McHenry chiropractic appointment with OrthoIllinois Chiropractic. Lifting can put stress on the the lumbar spine. Chiropractic care alleviates the stress on the low back for back pain relief. Call us today!
