Dr. Vic Alfieri, DPT discusses two simple strategies to use during your daily activities to prevent you from developing lower back pain the next time you have to lift something from the floor or move something down to the floor.
First Strategy - ‘Think Smart’
Don’t be impulsive. If you know you are going to have to perform this activity, just because it isn’t bothersome while you are performing this activities, doesn’t mean that your aren’t causing repetitive micro-trauma to the structures that are supposed to be supporting your lumber spine (lower back).
Second Strategy - ‘The Bio-mechanics of Proper Lifting’
1. Lifting - Bring the object as close to you as possible. This reduces the load on the muscles of your lower back and instead uses the larger muscles of your hips to let the load.
2. Setting Something Down - Bend at your hips so that you aren’t using the smaller, more vulnerable muscles of your lower back.
