Imagine getting ready for a bike ride with your kids or grandkids.  You’ve packed your lunch, and you reach up to get the bikes down from the hooks where they’re hanging in the garage.

Suddenly, a sharp, radiating back pain shoots down your spine.

You need back treatment.

Chiropractors hear hundreds of these types of stories each week.  Unfortunately, back pain related to lifting something incorrectly is very common.

Watch this video for a quick demonstration about lifting and moving objects properly:

Approximately 70 percent of Americans will experience back pain during their lifetime.  For many of them, it will become chronic, resulting in a high cost to society due to lost productivity and skyrocketing health care costs.  The highest price, though, is paid by the people who are in too much pain to do the things they enjoy.

There are, however, a few ways you can protect your back during normal activities. Preventing your need for back pain treatment starts with avoiding injuries.

1. Stop Lazy Lifting  

Whether your moving, picking up your two-year-old or bringing up the Christmas decorations from your crawl space, lifting objects incorrectly has the greatest potential to injure your back.

Here’s the right way to to do it:  Get close to the object before bending down.  Once you’re in front of the object, bend both knees, grab the object and stand straight up (keeping your back straight.)

If you’re used to bending and moving differently, these changes may feel ackward, at first, but with a little practice using these proper tips and techniques can really help to prevent back injuries and your potential need for back treatment.

2.  Stop Your Sedentary Lifestyle

It’s a catch twenty-two.  If your back is hurt or injured, you probably won’t exercise, but if you don’t exercise, you aren’t conditioned or flexible and you’ll probably injure your back.

Although your back may be hurting, it’s still important to do a little stretching.  Movement is necessary to keep your joints mobile to prevent them from getting “locked up.”

3.  Stop Hunching Over Your Phone and Computer

Good posture helps to keep your spine aligned.  How you sit at your computer desk, while in the car or even while watching TV can have a big impact on the potential for a back injury.

People spend more time in front of their phone and computer than they do with each other. The second leading reason Kansas City residents seek back treatment is because of back and neck injuries related to poor posture while using electronics.

We’re all working hard to meet deadlines, but if you can take just a few micro-breaks throughout your day, your back and neck will thank you for it!

4.  Stop Sleeping on Your Stomach

The position you sleep in can greatly impact how your back feels when you wake up in the morning.

If you sleep in a bed that does not offer enough support for your back and neck, you may wake up stiff and find yourself in need of back treatment.

Sleeping on your stomach puts great pressure on your back and neck because of the unnatural way your bones and muscles are aligned during sleep.  The best positions are on your back and side as long as you have a firm pillow that allows your neck to stay parallel to the ground.

5.  Stop Twisting While You’re Lifting

We hardly ever just pick up a box and set it down where we picked it up.  Our goal is usually to move it somewhere.  The temptation, then, is to pick it up, twist at the waist and then set it down somewhere else.

This twisting motion while holding a heavy object puts tons of pressure on the ligaments that support our lower back.

Instead, use the proper living techniques outlined in this video and then set the object down while bending at the knees.

When moving something light, lean over the object, bend one knee and then slightly extend your other leg behind you.  You might find it helpful to stabilize yourself by holding onto a piece of furniture.

Prevent Your Need for Back Treatment With a Few Smart Moves

With proper planning and the right technique, you can more easily move both heavy and light objects without causing back injuries.

Our days are filled with “opportunities” to correctly move objects – from putting away your groceries to carrying around your two-year-old.

By using proven techniques, our Olathe chiropractors can restore motion and prevent further deterioration in your joints.  Let the Kansas City chiropractors help to get you get back to doing what you love!  Schedule an appointment today or call 913-764-6237.

We are proud to serve Kansas City, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, Gardner and the surrounding suburbs of Kansas City.