5 Tips For Decreasing Lower Back Stress
by Sam Visnic, CHEK III, CHEK NLC II, NMT, LMT
When working with clients that have chronic low back pain, I find that teaching
them to take care of themselves outside of the gym is just as important as their training
and soft-tissue regimen. If a client comes into my clinic and performs one hour
of great work, then goes overboard landscaping the backyard the following day with bad
lifting technique, our success will be shortchanged. The following
five tips will assist in decreasing the amount of stress on your back, whether or not you
are in pain.
1. Always try to use your legs when lifting.
I know this one sounds trite, but I still catch many of my clients trying to lift with their back!
Flexing your back while trying to lift a heavy load will increase disk pressure
dramatically and also put stress upon important spinal stabilizer muscles. So maintain an upright
position and squat down to pick up a load. If your legs are too weak to lift
in this fashion, either get started on a strengthening program or get someone else to do the lifting!
2. When lifting objects, try to keep them as close to your body as possible.
I can't tell you how many people come to see me because they blew out their back trying
to reach for a heavy load that was far away from them. The closer the weight is
to the body, the less weight is imposed on the spine. This, by the way, also includes
that extra belly weight!
3. Avoid rounding or flexing your spine for prolonged periods of time.
Activities that involve leaning over such as brushing your teeth or washing dishes
can quickly create fatigue in the spinal stabilizers of an individual with back pain.
The best choice to make in this type of situation is to squat down with your feet
wide apart and keep your back straight. This will move you closer to the activity
and make your legs do the work!
4. Distribute loads equally between each side of the body when possible.
This rule can be applied to individuals who carry briefcases or parents who carry
small children. Holding a weight on one side of the body increases the stress on
the spine and its associated muscles. This can quickly lead to overload and also
muscle imbalances. Many mothers frequently have an elevated hip on the side upon which
they habitually carry their child. When carrying something heavy, try to carry
something equally heavy in the other arm if possible or carry it in the center of your body.
5. Stretch and move your back after prolonged sitting or inactivity.
Moving around every few minutes will serve to pump nutrients and blood flow to
stagnate areas. Sitting on a swiss ball is one way to keep your body's stabilizer
muscles activated and decrease compressive loading on your spine.
By taking the steps outlined above, you can effectively decrease the amount of
stress that your back endures throughout the day. I can't stress for my clients
enough: You only have one spine and body, so take care of it!
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