Chiropractic Solutions 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 San Jose chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You’ve likely even experienced it directly. Chiropractic Solutions explains proper lifting techniques with our back pain patients early on in treatment. It is important to keep the spine protected while it heals! New studies report that back supports and even hand support techniques while lifting can help.
MECHANICAL LOADING DURING LIFTING
Mechanical loading is a major risk factor for low back pain. The loading may be due to lifting a heavy or light object that prompts San Jose 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 lowered by 14%. The researchers are hopeful that such devices could lower the risk of compression-related tissue failure while lifting. (1) For now, Chiropractic Solutions focuses on what is available widely today to help our San Jose back pain patients control their back pain once the pain is lessened 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 is not much difference when discussing how the low back responds while lifting. Interesting! Researchers wanted to see if the common way most people pick things up off the floor – with a hand on a thigh for support – made a difference. They proposed that it would result in decreased load on the back. The volunteers lifted two kinds of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers logging every move and muscle response. Retrieving 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 help the low back. Chiropractic Solutions has some other ways to limit spinal stress during lifting to control San Jose back pain and its recurrence: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It’s a comprehensive treatment plan you’ll want to embrace!
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Alexander on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains the effective, gentle treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with spinal stenosis and low back pain.
Schedule your next San Jose chiropractic appointment with Chiropractic Solutions. Lifting can stress the lumbar spine. Chiropractic care alleviates the stress on the lumbar spine for back pain relief. Call us today!
