Spring brings with it a desire to organize life, plot a garden space and head out for a hike. Which are all positive ways to start a new season, and I’m here to help you do so while also preventing any back injuries in the process!
As Your Mom Always Said – Lift With Your Knees!
Mom’s know a lot about a lot, and one such tidbit she likely told you was: “lift with your knees!”. I’m here to tell you – she’s correct!
It is very important to lift heavy items in a safe manner – from boxes in the garage to buckets of dirt. If not, many areas of your body could suffer, including your back, shoulders, knees and other sensitive joints not accustomed to heavy lifting.
Using Proper Posture to Prevent Injury
Using proper lifting techniques and posture will also minimize the stress your spine and joints might feel from lifting unusually shaped or weighted objects, or turning and bending oddly while lifting even light items. Lifting with the proper form will, no only help you strengthen muscles you don’t normally utilize, it will also ensure you’re using the right muscles – such as your core, glutes and other stability muscles meant for the job.
5 Tips for Stable, Injury-Free Lifting
1. Keep the object you are lifting, close to your body. This will prevent any unexpected falls from improper balance or weight distribution.
2. Keep your stance wider than shoulder width apart, as this will help you keep your balance and give you the power to lunge and lift more fluidly.
3. Keep your back in straight alignment while you lower and lift, as opposed to bending and reaching – which can quickly strain your back. Even if you don’t feel it immediately, small muscles and joints can become inflamed when they are having to respond to movement and strain in new and unexpected ways, so by keeping your back vertical – you will better prevent injuries from occurring.
4. Keep the items at a manageable weight, as trying to lift more than you truly should can quickly create chaos for your neck, shoulders and back.
5. If you do happen to feel pain when lifting, stop. Pain is your body’s way of helping you prevent or minimize injury before we take it too far. So take such discomforts seriously in order to prevent you from becoming temporarily immobile.
Regardless of if you are seeking chiropractic treatments to repair an injury, or simply require general maintenance to keep your mobility on track – I am here to help. Feel free to contact me at 604-371-3939 or email me directly at to answer any questions you might have as you and assist you to step into spring in a healthy manner!
Sincerely,
Dr. Mitch Spooner