Spring Cleaning/Gardening and the Importance of Proper Lifting/Bending
It’s spring, which means it’s time to clear out the shed and get back to gardening. These activities can put quite the strain on your lower back and hips, which can lead to injury and chronic pain without proper preventative measures.
Dr. Abdollah Nejad at ChiroSports USA provides the following information on the importance of proper lifting and bending during your spring cleaning or gardening.
Why Proper Lifting Is Important
Lifting and bending are two integral parts of spring cleaning and gardening. However, if you don’t bend in the right way, you can suffer an injury to your lower back. Examples include herniated or bulging discs, pinched nerves, and torn or strained muscles. These conditions can lead to chronic pain that will not resolve without proper treatment. The best way to protect your back is to avoid these injuries altogether.
How to Lift Properly
If you need to lift a heavy box or gardening tool, you should never bend over at the waist. This movement puts excessive pressure on your lower spine and can lead to a herniated disc or a pinched nerve.
Instead, use your knees to lower yourself into a squatting position. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and you should keep your back as straight as possible. Keep your shoulders back to avoid placing any strain on your neck. Once you’re ready to get up, slowly raise your body straight up without bending over.
Your back should stay straight both when you go down and come back up. Arching or twisting your back in any way destabilizes you and makes it more likely that you’ll suffer an injury. If you’ve already noticed the symptoms of a back injury from lifting, we can provide the proper treatment.
Contact ChiroSports USA
If you’ve suffered an injury during your spring cleaning or gardening session and you’re searching for a chiropractor in Union City or Pleasanton, you can rely on our team at ChiroSports USA. For more information about our treatment options or to schedule an appointment, reach out to our Union City location at (510) 475-1858 or our Pleasanton location at (925) 462-2225..
You can also send us a message on our website.
Posted In:
Low Back Pain Treatment
Chiropractic
