How can we prevent lower back pain?
Lower back pain has been at the centre of public attention for many years, as the vast majority of the population is effected and unfortunately the consequences are often life changing. If you damage or hurt your spine, this can affect your central nervous system, which consequently impacts everyday life. No one likes to be inhibited in their movement, sleep or haunted by nerve-racking pain. Hence, the prevention of lower back injury and pain management is of vast importance:
– lift with a neutral spine position (no flexion or overextension) and rotate around the hips
– do not load the spine directly after prolonged flexion, such as sitting or scooping
– stiffen and brace the trunk prior to lifting
– avoid a twisting motion of the spine (this may lead to a weakened annulus, extreme compression due to co-contraction and an asymmetric spine loading)
– keep the load close to your body to reduce the reaction moment on the lower back. Examples: shovelling, sweeping
– keep the load close to the centre, if you hoover move it in front of your centre not on the side of your body
– if you pull an object, pull it towards the centre e.g. your navel
– if you have to lift and pull an object with one arm, try to push against another object with the other arm= “the bow”
– if you carry loads try to balance them in both hands, lifting on one side will create more spine load than lifting double the weight in both hands.
– After getting up out of bed, try not to bend and flex your spine (discs are fully hydrated and prone to failure due to flexion stress)
Recommendations for prolonged sitting:
– adjust the position of the chair over the day
– allow for a break every 50 min, in which you stand up, stretch your arms over head and body towards the ceiling and breath deep into the diaphragm. Repeat this movement a few times.
– Exercise in your breaks!
Enjoy practicing in your every day life. If you have any questions concerning technique let me know, I am happy to help.
McGill, S. (2007). Low back disorders – Evidence based prevention and rehabilitation. (2nd ed.). USA: Human Kinetics.
McGill, S. (2009). Ultimate Back fitness and performance. (4th ed.). Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Backfitpro Inc.
McGill, S. (2014). Building the ultimate back: From rehabilitation to performance. Seminar UK: Anglo-European College of Chiropractic.
Maike Czasche MSc ASCC
+44 (0)7805 951682
