Cross Chiropractic Center 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 Sandy Springs chiropractic patient with low back pain, you have! You’ve likely even experienced it directly. Cross Chiropractic Center explains proper lifting techniques with our back pain patients early on in treatment. It’s essential to protect the spine while it heals! New studies suggest 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 triggers Sandy Springs back pain. Much of how the pain comes on is via the response of back  muscles during the lift. Newly designed “exoskeletons” are being tested. 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 decreased by 14%. The researchers are optimistic that such devices could reduce the risk of compression-related tissue failure during lifting. (1) For now, Cross Chiropractic Center focuses on what’s available widely today to help our Sandy Springs 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 huge 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 decreased load on the back. The volunteers lifted two kinds of things - a pencil and a crate - off the floor with researchers recording every move and muscle response. Using a hand on the thigh for support while bending 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 during lifting may help the low back. Cross Chiropractic Center has some other ways to limit lifting stresses on the spine to control Sandy Springs back pain and its recurrence: support belts to exercise to spinal manipulation to back school. It is a comprehensive treatment plan you’ll want to embrace!

CONTACT Cross Chiropractic Center

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Alexander on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the effectiveness and gentleness of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with spinal stenosis and low back pain.                                       

Schedule your next Sandy Springs chiropractic appointment with Cross Chiropractic Center. Lifting can put stress on the the lumbar spine. Chiropractic care alleviates the stress on the lumbar spine for back pain relief.  Call us today!