Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office 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 Groton chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You’ve likely even experienced it personally. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office explains proper lifting techniques to our back pain patients early on in treatment. It’s important to protect the spine 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 from a heavy or light object that prompts Groton 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 demonstrate some promise in reducing 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, Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office focuses on what is accessible today to help our Groton back pain patients control their back pain once the pain is lessened by controlling their spine-related motions.

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 isn’t much difference when discussing how the low back responds during 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 lead to reduced load on the back. The volunteers lifted two kinds of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers noting every move and muscle response. Using a hand on the thigh for support while reaching for the pencil on the floor reduced 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 while lifting may help the low back. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office has some other ways to limit lifting stresses on the spine to control Groton back pain and its recurrence: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It’s a comprehensive treatment plan you will want to embrace!

CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office

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.                                       

Make your next Groton chiropractic appointment with Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office. Lifting can stress the lumbar spine. Chiropractic care alleviates the stress on the lumbar spine for back pain relief.  Contact us today!