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New Roads Back Pain-Preventing Lifting Techniques

Lifting an object off the ground seems like a simple task for most folks. It is a task we do every day typically without hesitation. Clients at New Roads Chiropractic Center share these types of stories every day about how hard it is to pick something up off the ground or how getting a simple pencil up off the ground triggered the worst back pain. Our New Roads 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 hints in mind can help minimize 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-documented. Squat lifting seems to be the one most report is optimal. One set of researchers shared some odd findings though: squat lift training did not prevent low back pain and stoop lifting isn’t a risk factor for low back pain. How do these two findings figure into suitable lifting for back pain prevention and management? They suggested that the lifting posture right for each person must be individualized as each lifting posture offers its own biomechanical and kinematic patterns for muscle activation making particular lifting postures better for particular patients. Researchers explained that stoop lifting was more metabolically efficient and less challenging to the cardiopulmonary system. This set of researchers also recommended working with each individual patient on the proper lifting technique suitable for his/her body and lifting situation following the “calm tissue down, build tissue up, improve work capacity” system. (1) New Roads Chiropractic Center usually looks at each of our New Roads 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 tips-and-tricks that may help us all when lifting. A special lifting technique known 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 too compared with unsupported lifting techniques. (2) That is an easy lifting tip we know our New Roads chiropractic clients|we can all do! Lifting slowly is another idea that 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) Therefore slow down when lifting. Use your quads to squat lift. (If they’re not very strong, let’s talk about strengthening them!)

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Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes treatment of a man with a disc herniation among other conditions for which The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management of spinal manipulation assisted in his relief. 

Schedule your New Roads chiropractic appointment with New Roads Chiropractic Center today. When simple tasks like lifting objects off the floor become difficult, know that New Roads Chiropractic Center is here to help find a way to make them better and easier for you and your spine!

 
New Roads Chiropractic Center shares how nutritiously valuable melons can be for our chiropractic patients’ healing and health. 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."