Are you suffering from back pains?  You may be worried it could be something worse. Experts say that some back pains are caused by improper lifting and incorrect posture.

Dr. Bonifacio Rafanan, Physiatrist at The Medical City Rehabilitation Medicine Department says, “Improper positions in lifting light or heavy things might stretch your back, neck, nape and even hands or feet. We should always be conscious about lifting things to prevent you from strains and body pains.”

Here are more of Dr. Rafanan’s tips:

Always carry things close to your body. In this way, the shift of the center of gravity of the body is minimally displaced, thus lessening the stress to your lower back.

Always bend your knees and hips when lifting objects, whether heavy or light. Do not bend your lower back or your trunk. Bending should come from the hips and knee so you use more the big muscles of the hips and knees rather than the small muscles of your back. Keep your back always straight.

If you need to carry more than 40-pound weight, ideally ask for assistance to lessen the risk of injury to the back.

If you cannot lift, then push using your back than pushing in front or pulling.

If you need to lift an object overhead, beyond shoulder - like putting things on the overhead shelves -- use a foot stool or ladder so you don’t hyperextend the back.

If you need to stand for a long time, always shift your weight from one foot to the other time to time. Do not stand for long time with your weight equally distributed to the feet.

Do not lift objects from the floor when seated on the chair e.g picking your bag from the side of the chair. Bending and twisting of the torso while seated and lifting things would increase the stress to your lower back. Stand up from the chair and do kneeling position when lifting objects.

Be sure of the weight of the object you about to lift. Do not underestimate or overestimate the weight of the object, it may also lead to low back pain.

If you need to bend your trunk for a time - like when brushing the teeth -- support your upper body with one upper extremity arm and hand on the sink.

When rising up from the bed, roll to your side and raise your body with the help of your arms.

If you need to lift heavy load from the floor, do a semi kneeling position in lifting objects. Do not over bend the trunk.

When you need to do something in a sitting position, sit up straight with your back leaning towards the chair’s backrest. This will prevent spinal curvature. Likewise, while in sitting position, if you need to lean towards the desk while working on something, maintain straight body with one foot slightly pointed outward

There you go! We hope you find these tips relevant and useful. He also reminds us to do regular exercises to improve the strength of the abdominals, lower back, hip and knee muscles. And lastly, please don’t forget -- Proper posture prevents physical stress and strain!
August 21, 2011