One of our Feel Amazing team members noticed our beloved Chiropractor Elijah carrying a heavy box the other day, and when he bent to place it down, he used his knees, keeping his back straight! They were so impressed, because truth be told, how many of us do this correctly? It’s often easier to just bend from the waist and twist sideways when lifting and carrying items. Unfortunately, it only takes one twist to cause ourselves an injury. So, in today’s blog post we thought we’d offer a few tips on correct lifting techniques.
Why Back Injuries Happen When Lifting
Before we look at correct lifting techniques, it’s important to understand why things sometimes go wrong, and how we can try and prevent injury. Back pain and injuries are common when lifting, and they’re usually caused by a mix of muscle weakness, poor technique, and pushing our bodies beyond their limits.
Overworking Weak Muscles
Without regular exercise and strength training, the muscles in our back can lose flexibility and endurance. When we suddenly lift something heavy, especially without warming up, we can easily strain these underused muscles. The result? Pain and inflammation, much like the soreness you feel after an intense workout when you haven’t exercised in a while.
Sudden Twisting or Overextension
Trying to lift something that’s too heavy or awkward can cause muscles or ligaments in the back to overstretch. This can lead to sprains, strains, and lingering discomfort. While the back is built to move and support us, it still has its limits.
Incorrect Lifting Technique
Lifting technique isn’t as rigid as once believed, but poor posture, lack of warm up, or an unbalanced stance can all increase the risk of injury. Even small adjustments in how you position your feet, bend your knees, or grip an object can make a big difference.
Should you be Lifting That Item
The ability to lift objects varies from person to person and depends on several factors, including the height and position of the object, its size, and the individual’s manual handling capacity. It is recommended that you avoid lifting items above your head and use equipment to avoid or reduce manual handling and awkward postures.
Steps to Correct Lifting – Prepare, Plan, Lifting, Lowering
Prepare & Plan
- Assess your load
- Plan where you are moving it to and what obstacles may be in the way
- Ask for help if it is heavy or if you need equipment to move it
Lifting
- Position your feet close to the item, feet should be a shoulder width apart
- Bend at the hips and knees not at the back. You are aiming to maintain your spine’s natural curves when lifting (and think of a semi-squat position)
- Ensure you have a good grip on the item – use your whole hand, not just fingers
- Active your core, bring your head up into neutral so you are looking ahead
- With a smooth action, straighten your legs by pushing the heels
- Keep the item close to the body and your eyes and feet pointing in the same direction when moving the item
- Avoid twisting the body when carrying the load
Lowering
- Get as close as possible to where the item needs to be placed
- Take as much care with lowering as with lifting
- Slowly lower the item following the previous steps (preferably to waist height)
- If it is to be placed on the ground then position feet, keep head and back as upright as possible, bend the knees & lower the load smoothly to the ground
- Adjust the position of the item after it has been placed down.
What to Do if You Feel Pain After Lifting
Even with the best intentions, injuries can still happen. If you feel pain after lifting something, especially if it doesn’t ease up after rest or gets worse, it’s a sign your body needs attention, not just time.
Ignoring pain can lead to longer recovery times or more serious issues down the line. Instead, take a proactive approach.
At our clinic, we offer a range of evidence-based therapies that aim to help manage pain, promote healing, and prevent future injuries:
- Realign and restore movement to your spine and joints. Chiropractic adjustments can play a role in reducing inflammation, relieving nerve pressure, improving joint function and increasing range of motion.
- Targeted massage helps release muscle tension, improve circulation, and support the healing of soft tissue injuries from overuse or strain.
- This treatment stimulates the body’s natural healing response and can be particularly effective for managing pain and inflammation.
- Ideal for muscle tightness and trigger points, dry needling helps reduce pain and improve mobility in affected areas.
Conclusion
If you’ve been doing manual handling and you’re dealing with lingering pain, don’t wait for it to go away on its own. Book an appointment with our experienced team – we’ll help you move better and get back to feeling amazing.
We have also written other blog posts on helpful wellness topics such as falls prevention, post treatment care, winter wellness, sleep, ergonomics and improving posture, and many others, so take a read if you are interested.
References
safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/hazards/lifting-pushing-and-pulling-manual-tasks
westernsydney.edu.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1343926/WHS_Fact_Sheet-_Lifting_Pushing_and_Pulling_Safely.pdf
services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/health-safety/injury-prevention-advice/lifting-pushing-pulling
comcare.gov.au/office-safety-tool/spaces/storage-equipment/lifting-and-moving-items
spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/causes-and-diagnosis-lower-back-strain