Toronto Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground seems like a simple task for most folks. It is a task we do every day mostly without a second thought. Clients at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre share these types of stories every day about how hard it is to pick something up off the ground or how picking up a simple pencil up off the ground triggered the worst back pain. Our Toronto chiropractic patients share common 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 help minimize 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-documented. Squat lifting seems to be the one most report is optimal. One set of researchers discussed some odd findings though: squat lift training didn’t prevent low back pain and stoop lifting isn’t a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two findings contribute to the discussion of proper lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture right for each person must be personalized as each lifting posture offers its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation which make certain lifting postures better for certain patients. Researchers explained that stoop lifting was more metabolically efficient and less challenging to the cardiopulmonary system. This set of researchers further recommended working with each individual patient on the proper lifting technique appropriate for his/her body and lifting situation using the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre typically looks at each of our Toronto chiropractic patients and presents ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are some methods that may help 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 reduced low back loading during lifting items of 2 to 10 kg. Trunk flexion angles were significantly decreased. Compressive and anterior-posterior shear forces were significantly lower as well compared with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is an easy lifting tip we know our Toronto chiropractic clients|we can all do! Lifting slowly is another idea that reportedly lowered loads on the lumbar spinal elements. Stoop lifting had a greater 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 conditions for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation contributed to his relief.
Schedule your Toronto chiropractic appointment with Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre today. When effortless tasks like lifting objects off the floor become troublesome, know that Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is ready to help find a way to make them better and troublefree for you and your spine!
