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Watch your back
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Learning the right lifting techniques can save you from niggling backache
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THE BACK is an orthopaedic surgeon's dream or nightmare, depending on whether monetary or professional considerations are uppermost in his mind. A majority of the adult population will suffer from chronic back pain at some point in their lives, and a big chunk of this morbidity is preventable if people lift stuff the right way and get help before lifting very heavy weights.
A few tips
The wrong way to lift an object is to simply bend over it at the waist and pick it up. Here the extensors of the back generate force, and they have to work extra hard because supporting a bent-over back against gravity is a big task in itself, leave alone supporting the extra weight. The back gives way on a really bad day, and a slipped disc is one possible outcome.
The right way is to get close to the object you want to lift, separate your feet shoulder-width apart, and then bend at the knees while keeping your back as straight as possible. This makes you lift with your thigh and hip muscles, which are among the strongest in the body. Tighten your abdominal muscles as you lift. Get help if the object is too heavy or of an awkward shape. To lift a suitcase, stand along side it, bend at the knees, grasp the handle and straighten up. Do not be fooled by what the object is made of. A laundry basket full of clothes may be heavier than you think, and finding out about it after lifting it with a bent back may be too late. Make a habit of using the right technique and you will never meet with unpleasant surprises.
Use other muscles
Once the object is in your hands, hold it close to the body. Keep your knees slightly bent to maintain balance. If you want to go somewhere, turn you feet first and then turn your body in that direction. Do not twist your body first. To place the object on a shelf, move as close as possible to the shelf. Spread your feet in a wide stance position one foot in front of the other. Do not lean forward and do not fully extend your arms while holding the object. If the shelf is chest high, push the object up with your arms and shoulders, and do not arch your back to lift higher. Tighten your abdominal muscles before lifting.
To lift really light objects like a pen, lean over the object, and slightly bend one knee while extending the other leg behind you. Hold on to a nearby object for support as you bend.
RAJIV. M
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