Spinal Care Clinic Shares Tips for Lifting Safely to Prevent Back Pain

Did you hear how lifting can be hard on a low back? If you are a Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You have likely even experienced it personally. Spinal Care Clinic explains proper lifting techniques with our back pain patients in the beginning of treatment. It’s 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 major risk factor for low back pain. The loading may be from a heavy or light object that triggers Burlington and Hamilton 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 tried. They go beyond a back brace but demonstrate some promise in reducing lumbar flexion and decreasing the compressive force on the back by 13-21% while bending. Peak compressive force during lifting was reduced by 14%. The researchers are hopeful that such devices could reduce the risk of compression-related tissue failure during lifting. (1) For now, Spinal Care Clinic focuses on what’s available widely today to help our Burlington and Hamilton 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 huge 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 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 thought that it would result in reduced load on the back. The volunteers lifted two kinds of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers noting every move and muscle response. Getting the pencil with a hand on a thigh for support while bending over decreased the average peak total stresses by 17 to 25% (depending on the lifting method). Hand support while lifting the crate reduced the peak total stresses by 13-19% for one-handed lifting and 14-26% for two-handed lifting. (2) Hand support during lifting may protect the low back. Spinal Care Clinic has some other approaches to limit spinal stress during lifting to control Burlington and Hamilton back pain and its recurrence: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It’s a comprehensive treatment plan you will want to embrace!

CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic

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 Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic appointment with Spinal Care Clinic. 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!