Murfreesboro Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques

Lifting something off the ground appears to be a simple task for most folks. It’s one we do every day mostly without a second thought. Most Chiropractic Clinic hears stories daily about how difficult it is to pick something up off the ground or how reaching for a simple pencil up off the ground triggered the worst back pain. Our Murfreesboro chiropractic patients tell us 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 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-studied. Squat lifting seems to be the one most report is optimal. One set of researchers shared some odd findings though: squat lift training did not stop low back pain and stoop lifting isn’t a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two findings reckon with appropriate lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture right for each person must be individualized as each lifting posture possesses 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 also recommended working with each individual patient on the proper lifting technique suitable for his/her body and lifting situation using the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Most Chiropractic Clinic typically looks at each of our Murfreesboro chiropractic patients and offers ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.

A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING

There are a few tips-and-tricks that may support us all when lifting. A special lifting trick known as BATT (a braced arm to thigh, one-handed lifting method to retrieve objects with the dominant hand) substantially decreased low back loading while 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 an easy lifting tip we know our Murfreesboro chiropractic clients|we can all do! Another is lift slowly which is said to lower loads on the lumbar spinal elements. 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, let’s talk about strengthening them!)

CONTACT Most Chiropractic Clinic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses treatment of a man with a disc herniation among other issues for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation contributed to his relief. 

Schedule your Murfreesboro chiropractic appointment with Most Chiropractic Clinic today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become troublesome, know that Most Chiropractic Clinic is available to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!