We lift things every day. And most times we don’t hurt ourselves. But sometimes when we lift something heavy, if we twist while we lift or if we lift something quickly, we can hurt our backs or necks. This happens very often at work when we are rushed or if we have a heavy item and no help. Even abruptly getting up or standing up from a seated position can sometimes hurt us.
How to avoid it
The number one way to hurt your back is by bending, lifting, and twisting all at the same time. If you work in construction, a restaurant, a cleaning company or similar industries this happens every day, every hour. Even lifting children or a golf bag or groceries can injure your back. The best way to avoid getting hurt is to lift with your legs bent and try to keep your back straight as you lift and stand up. Lifting with straight legs and only bending at the waist puts the entire load on your back and can cause muscle, bone, nerve, and disc problems. Another way to avoid injury is to get help.
Ask a coworker to help you lift heavy or awkward things. A third way is to not overload yourself by trying to lift everything at once, but rather making two or three trips with smaller loads. This is especially true for the work, grocery and childcare examples.
Stretch and Strengthen
Doing stretching and strengthening exercises can help strengthen and stabilize your back so you are less likely to get hurt on the job or at play. At Chiropractic Partners we teach our patients specific stretches and exercises to strengthen and stabilize their backs, necks, arms, and legs to reduce the likelihood of getting injured. Our chiropractic treatment not only does this, but also realigns the body so it can be pain free, stronger, and injury resistant. When your body is aligned properly and working correctly and efficiently you are stronger, more balanced and less likely to get hurt.
When people do get hurt, we can fix that too. Chiropractic treatment is proven to be safe, effective, relatively quick and less expensive than most other forms of recovery including medical doctors, drugs, and surgery. We get people feeling better quickly so they can get back or continue to work, make money, and avoid further injuries that lead to worse problems which jeopardize health and income.
At Chiropractic Partners we specialize in this. We utilize , chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, electrical muscle stimulation, various forms of traction, ultrasound, spinal decompression, and education on stretches, exercises, and nutrition. We can usually see you the same day you call us, and we can start treatment immediately. This will help you feel better and get back to work as quickly as possible. If you are having problems with your back, neck, arms, or legs chiropractic care in most cases can help you.
So, if you are looking for a great chiropractor near you, give us a call or schedule an appointment today. Chiropractic Partners of Clayton can help.