Lifting Correctly Could Save You From A Lot of Back Pain

Stop lifting with your back!

It is a bad, lazy habit that has the potential to cause herniated discs, lower back pain and a whole host of other spine-related injuries. The problem is that bending forward (flexion) increases the amount of compression on your spine; when you add weight-bearing to this scenario, the risks are multiplied and a previously-vulnerable disc can more easily rupture. But avoiding injury is easy- it just takes an extra few seconds to perform a proper lift.

A healthy lift will save your spine

Chances are you remember the maxim: lift with your legs, not your back. Well add in this maxim: keep your chest facing forward. When facing an object that needs to be lifted, squat down close to the object. Get a good grasp on the object and keep your chest facing forward in order to keep your spine as straight as possible. As an extension of this, make sure that your head does not curve downward but instead remains in alignment at the top of your spine. Now, generate power from your legs and propel yourself upward, bearing the weight close to your body. And there you go! A successful lift that has mitigated a great portion of the chance for injury. 

Smarter lifting is smarter living

At Greenway Plaza Chiropractic, we help people enact smarter spinal health habits. You may be surprised to find that the majority of these are easy, minute changes that will make a big difference in spinal wellness. Give our office in Houston a call to start making drastic improvements in the way your back feels today.