What’s Really Making Your Back HurtThis morning, you probably didn’t think twice about slinging a work tote over your shoulder or picking your sneakers up off the floor. But there may come a time when one of those simple motions will trigger a backache bad enough to cause you to call in sick, see a doctor, or at the very least, take a few painkillers. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, four out of five women will develop a back injury at some point in their lives. But with a few simple changes, you can prevent yourself from becoming a statistic. The trick, says Douglas Chang, M.D., chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, is separating the misconceptions from the facts. “A lot of the advice that’s floating round out there is unhelpful, or in some cases even harmful,” he says. We asked Chang and other experts to set the record straight on how to best prevent and heal aches and pains.
MYTH #1 Lifting heavy objects will strain your back
Most injuries are caused not by what you pick up, but how you do it. The proper form: Squat, keeping your back straight. Grab the object, bring it close to your body, then stand; your thigh and butt muscles should do the lifting.
Just grabbing a pen off the floor? It’s still important to be careful, because simply twisting the wrong way can harm your back. “One of the worst moves is bending over to the side while staying seated with your feet planted on the floor,” says Rahul Shah, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon in Winter Park, Florida. “Twisting your back in two directions at once may strain the disks that cushion your spinal vertebrae.” This repetitive trauma builds up over the years and can weaken your spine. “If your back is already vulnerable,” says Shah, “the wrong movement could easily trigger an injury.”
MYTH #2 Sitting up straight keeps your spine in line
While your mom was right to stop you from hunching, holding yourself too erectly isn’t as good for your back as you think. “It puts a lot of stress on your disks, especially when you do it for long periods of time,” says Santhosh Thomas, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health in Westlake, Ohio. In fact, researchers at Woodend Hospital in Scotland found that people who sat at a 90-degree angle strained their spines more than those who reclined at 135 degrees.
“A few times a day, adjust your posture,” recommends Shah. “Lean back in your chair with your feet on the ground and make sure there’s a slight curve in your lower back.” That way, he explains, you’ll distribute your body weight more evenly, as your shoulders and upper back muscles will take some of the pressure off your spine. If you often find yourself slouching at your desk at the end of the workday, consider using a cushion to support your lower back and keep your spine in alignment.
What may be even more important than sitting correctly is taking frequent breaks from your desk throughout the day, says Chang. To boost circulation in your back muscles and lessen fatigue, stand up every half hour and take a five-minute stroll or stretch every hour. He advises doing some of your work while standing up to give your spine a little reprieve. “Take a phone call on your feet,” says Chang, “or place a report on top of a waist-high filing cabinet so you can stand and read it.”
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, (Eph:6-19)
It was a nice trip: I went with my in-laws who had never been to Germany before. Of course Charlie stuck out particularly: There are no cowboys in Germany. He was a real attraction.
