Montreal Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques
Lifting something off the ground appears to be a simple task for most people. It’s a task we do every day mostly without a second thought. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic hears stories daily about how difficult 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 Montreal 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 tips in mind can potentially limit stress on the spine.
LIFTING TECHNIQUES
When it comes to posture, lifting is a notorious 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 group of researchers stated 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 reckon with proper lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture that is proper for each person must be personalized as each lifting posture offers its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation which make particular lifting postures better for particular patients. Researchers described that stoop lifting was more metabolically efficient and less challenging to the cardiopulmonary system. This set of researchers further recommended working with each individual client on the proper lifting technique appropriate for his/her body and lifting situation following the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic typically looks at each of our Montreal chiropractic patients and presents ideas on managing and preventing back pain with exercise and other approaches.
A COUPLE TIPS ON LIFTING
There are a few methods that may support us all when lifting. A special lifting trick referred to 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 a simple lifting tip we know our Montreal chiropractic clients|we can all do! Another is lift slowly which reportedly lowered loads on the lumbar spine. 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 greater) and freestyle lifting. (3) So slow down when lifting. Use your quads to squat lift. (If they are not very strong, Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic has some exercises to strength them!)
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's 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 conditions for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation contributed to his relief.
Schedule your Montreal chiropractic appointment with Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become difficult, know that Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is ready to help find a way to make them better and troublefree for you and your spine!
