Chronic Lower Back Pain
Lessen Muscle Pain By Changing Movement, Bending & Sleep Patterns
Aug 23, 2007
One cannot train a body part if that body part is injured. This fact was the case at the beginning of time and always will be correct.
The most common injured body part is the lumbar spine, better known as lower back. Back in 1994, Len Kravitz, Ph.D. and Ron Andrews, M.S., P.T. quoted figures from an article entitled "The effectiveness of four interventions for the prevention of low back pain" in the Journal of the American Medical Association (272, 1286-1291) by A., Malter, A. D., Berg, A. O., and Deyo, R. A. in reporting that, in the U.S. alone, "The medical costs, not including disability claims, directly attributed to low back pain exceeded $24 billion in 1990."
Although it is difficult to establish the main cause of low back pain in some cases, moving and/or lifting objects improperly, bad posture caused by tight muscles and obesity cause lower back pain. The various ways people become injured cause rehabilitation experts to treat low back pain in different ways.
No matter the cause of the injury or treatment given, doctors across the world agree on the basic body mechanics of lifting heavy objects, bending over and sleeping.
Use these 10 tips before and during moving heavy objects:
- Before lifting an object, move any obstacles out of the path. This includes toys, tools, and so on
- Test the weight of the object. Will it take two people to move it? If yes, get assistance.
- Plan before lifting. What is the best way to move it out of the room?
- Keep legs shoulder-width apart or wider while lifting. This keeps the back from bending too far forward.
- Tighten abdominal muscles while lifting. This will give the spine more support.
- Bend knees and lift with the legs. The hips and legs are stronger than shoulders and back.
- While moving the object, hold it as close to the body as possible.
- Do not twist when carrying the load. Moving the feet deceases the stress on the lower back.
- Try to push before pulling. Pushing employs body weight to help.
- Good communication is necessary when two people are moving an object.
Many daily tasks involve bending over to pick something up off the ground. Low back injuries occur even though these objects may seem light. The back can be “thrown out” by picking up a piece of paper. A lot of times it is not the weight of the object but the way the body moves while bending over.
Three options keep the lower back in alignment:
- Two-Leg Squat Lift. This is good for lifting things like laundry baskets. Bring feet as close to the object as possible. Bend both knees with stomach tight. Use legs to lift the object.
- The One-Knee Lift. This is good for picking up children and unusually shaped objects. Again, stand close to the object. Bend down on one knee with back straight. Lift the object with the legs.
- The Golf Lift. The Golf Lift is good for picking things out of a laundry machine. To complete, place one hand on a wall (or similar stationary object) for balance. Next, reach the other hand down while one leg comes off the floor. Keep back straight and rise slowly.
When injured, the spine causes severe pain. Sometimes sleeping becomes uncomfortable. If it does,
- Have a firm matress. If it isn't, place a piece of plywood between the mattress and box springs.
- If sleeping on the side is most comfortable, place a pillow between the knees.
- If sleeping on the back is most comfortable, place a pillow under the knees.
Back pain can be caused by a myriad of reasons. Don't let poor body mechanics be one of them. Read the "Exercises For The Lower Back" article for more information.
Sources:
- “Body Mechanics Basics”, copyright 1996-2000 BioEx Systems, Inc.
- Treatment of chronic low back pain by co-ordination training: a randomized, controlled pilot study. Dettner, Joakim, Elmfeldt, Dag, Svardsudd, Kurt. Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Kravitz, L., & Andrews, R. (1995). Fitness & the low back. IDEA Today, 13(4), 44-52.“
