Improper lifting techniques are responsible for a large percentage of back injuries that can cause a large range of symptoms from low back pain, thigh pain, numbness and tingling and a burning sensation or pain down the foot. It can also cause neck pain, shoulder and arm pain. Before you bend to pick up an object it is important to think and use proper lifting techniques to help prevent injury. Using incorrect lifting techniques can cause injury resulting in sudden and severe pain, which can almost always be prevented if proper lifting techniques are used.

Common Injuries

Back injuries from improper lifting techniques typically lead to three kinds of injuries to the muscles, vertebral discs, and joints. Some injuries from incorrect lifting include:

*Disc injury
*Joint injury
*Muscle injury

With improper lifting, you may experience a tear, rupture, or shift out of position of the soft cushions between your vertebrae, called discs. If this injury does occur, the fibrous rings surrounding the soft leathery discs can bulge and even rupture. This can cause the dislocated or ruptured disc to press against a nerve, causing pain and numbness to radiate down into you buttocks or leg.

Because of the numerous joints in your spinal column that connect all of the various bony structures, injury may occur. A joint injury can be caused by a bad lift because it causes excessive strain on your joints, irritating tissue within them, and in some cases, locking them up. As well, if you change position during a lift, you can place a lot of stress on your lower back muscles. This added stress can easily strain and injure your back, usually in the form of a small twist or tear of a single muscle or group of muscles.

Lifting Techniques and Tips

An important rule to remember when lifting is to never bend from your waist and then stand upright to lift an item from the ground. Keep your back straight and crouch first by bending at the knees or hips. This all depends on where the item is that you are lifting and allows your arms and shoulder muscles to do the brunt of the lifting, rather than your back. Some simple lifting techniques include:

*Make sure you have a place to put the object you are lifting.
*If you need to turn while lifting the object, use your feet to pivot, not your back.
*Your leg muscles should be the ones providing the power during your motion to stand erect, not your back.
*Keep the object close to your body in order to maximize the use of your arms and shoulder muscles.
*Keep your chest forward and bend at your hips, or knees, not your lower back.
*When lifting, push your chest out, pointing forward. Avoid twisting or turning during your lift as this will cause injury.
*Lead with your hips, not your shoulders and keep your shoulders in line with your hips.
*Don't lift any objects that are obviously too heavy.

Contact your chiropractor in Boston for further information on proper lifting techniques to avoid injury to your back or any other part of your body. Poor technique can cause both acute injury, and serious chronic effects.