LIFTING
TECHNIQUES YOU SHOULD FOLLOW TO AVOID INJURIES TO
YOUR BACK
by Nicole Niemiec
T the 10 jobs with the highest prevalence of low back
pain due to an injury at work are:
1.
Truck Drivers
2.
Construction Equipment and Heavy Machine Operators
3.
Construction Workers
4.
Building Maintenance Workers
5.
Firefighters
6.
Police Officers
7.
Heavy Equipment Mechanics
8.
Health-Care Therapists
9.
Doctors, Dentists, and Nurses (tie)
10.
Farmers, Foresters, and Commercial Fishermen (tie)
Not
surprisingly, most of these jobs involve heavy lifting,
which puts strain on all areas of your back and can
lead to permanent damage if not performed properly.
Of course, just because your career does not fall
into one of the above categories, doesn't mean that
you don't risk injuring your back. Regardless of how
much you use your back, you should take care of it.
Whenever
you are using your back, you should remember the following
techniques:
When Lifting:
-
Keep
the load close to your body.
-
Bend
your knees and hips.
-
Tighten
your stomach muscles when you lift (they help
support your back).
-
Lift
with your legs and buttocks.
-
Maintain
your spine's natural curve.
-
Avoid
twisting as you lift.
-
When
Twisting (such as when turning a valve):
-
Kneel
down on one knee.
-
Maintain
your spine's natural curve.
-
Position
yourself so you have the best possible leverage.
-
Use
your arms and legs to do the work, not your back.
-
When
Bending:
-
Kneel
down on one knee.
-
Maintain
your spine's natural curve.
-
Bend
your knees and hips, not your back.
-
When
moving forward, move your whole body, not just
your arms.
-
When
Doing Repetitive Motions (motions you do over
and over again)
-
Keep
the loads small.
-
Turn
your whole body instead of twisting.
-
Get
close to the load; don't reach and lift.
-
Lift
with your arms and legs, not your back.
-
Tighten
your stomach muscles to lift.
-
Change
positions frequently.
-
When
Reaching:
-
Reach
only as high as is comfortable but don't stretch;
use a stool if you need it.
-
Test
the weight of the load before lifting by pushing
up on one corner.
-
Let
your arms and legs do the work, not your back.
-
Tighten
your stomach muscles as you lift.
Of
course one of the best injury prevention tips for
your back, is to have strong muscles in your back
itself and also in your stomach. Strong stomach muscles
help support your back and ease stress on your spine.
The key to having strong stomach muscles is by doing
sit-ups on a consistent basis -- lots of them!
If
you have back pain, please see your doctor.
