Avoid back problems: Lift objects the proper way

  Each year millions of Americans injure their backs lifting something incorrectly. These injuries range from mild strains to severe bulging discs, and often times will cause a person to miss work or stop an activity that they enjoy. Each injury will vary slightly in presentation and recovery, but one thing remains the same — with better technique, most all of them could have been avoided.
Poor body mechanics during a lifting task causes more back injuries than any other factor. Fortunately, learning to lift properly is relatively easy. In about ten minutes, anyone can learn how to lift things while preventing injury. I firmly recommend that everybody lifts with proper technique, so here are a few tips to keep you healthy.
Never ever lift and twist. This is the number one cause of lifting-related back pain in the world. Listing and twisting causes more disk bulges and pinched nerves than any other mechanism of injury. It is always better to bring yourself into an upright position and then move your body to place the object where you want it to be.
Keep your back straight. A bent back is a bad back. Flexed-forward posture during a lifting task causes more injury than just about anything else. Keeping your back straight is the easiest way to prevent injury.
Get close and stay close to the object. The goal of proper lifting is to keep the object as close to you as possible. The further the object is from your body the more strain your back endures, and the more likely you are to get hurt.
Bend at the knees and at the hips. Your knees and hips are big, strong, powerful joints capable of lifting heavy loads with minimal risk of injury. This is especially important when lifting things from a low surface. The more you bend your knees, the less you'll have to bend your back.
Approach at an angle. Attempting to lift an object straight on often causes you to bend your back. If you approach from the side, you'll get a better handle on the object without having to lean over as far.
Use your body. Whenever possible, rest the object on your body to prevent muscles from becoming fatigued. This is especially true when carrying heavy loads of wet laundry, small children and items that require two hands.
Don't be afraid to get down low. This is especially true when lifting things off of the floor. The lower you go, the less bend in your back. From a low position, you can use the power of your knees and hips to hoist the weight of the object.

Take your time. The more lifting you do, the more energy you burn. Fatigued muscles have a considerably reduced capacity to protect the sensitive structures in the back. A tired back is half of the recipe for an injury.
Repetition can be dangerous. Persons with jobs requiring repetitive lifting must be even more careful. Repetitive strain on the back causes microtrauma. The accumulation of microtrauma causes tearing in the ligaments and discs in the back. A person must be as careful the tenth time he lifts something as he is the first.
If you do injure your back lifting, don't hesitate to come to physical therapy. With the right mobilization and exercises, you have an excellent chance of making a full recovery. Patients that wait longer than two weeks to be seen have a thirteen percent chance of developing chronic pain. Prevention is still the best cure, but physical therapy can help you carry the load if you get hurt.