Most if not all of us will experience some degree of back pain at some point in our lives so Michael Melnik, an occupational therapist who specializes in back injury prevention and management, has come up with an effective approach to managing and even preventing most back pain in a new video, “Back in Step: The Road to Recovery From Back Pain” (preventionplusinc.com). Here are some of the tips he offers in the 60-minute video:
Lifting
Keep it close/keep the curves—The closer an object is to your body when you pick it up, the lighter it is on your back. In addition, the closer you get, the easier it is to keep the natural curves of your spine which is the power position for your back.
Build a bridge—When you bend forward to pick something up, your upper body weight becomes a significant part of the lift. Support your upper body with a forward arm or a forward leg. If you don’t feel weight on a forward arm or leg, it’s on your back!
Feet first—When you lift, make sure that any movement you make starts with your feet moving first. This reduces reaching and twisting.
Standing
Staggered stance—Stand with one foot slightly in front of the other. This keeps the weight off of your back and puts it on your legs.
Slight bend in the knees—This activates the muscles in your legs and takes pressure off of your back.
Get a foot up—Elevating one foot slightly when you stand puts you into a staggered stance and moves your spine into a more powerful position.
Move—Changing positions throughout the day moves the demands to different body parts and reduces overall fatigue.
Stretching
Let your body know what’s coming—A brief warm-up before you perform a lift will send blood and oxygen to the working muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Let your body breathe—Your muscles need oxygen to work efficiently. A simple stretch or change of position lets your muscles breathe and allows them to continue working without fatigue.
The rule of opposites—The body adapts to the positions we maintain. If you’ve been in one position for a while, remember to do the opposite for a few seconds. (If you’ve been bending forward, bend backward. If you’ve been sitting for a while, stand up.)
