Anatomically speaking, the human back is a very complex system. Large muscles remain in almost constant tension across the entire structure, supporting an ingenious set of interlocking bones called the spine. Our backs often bear the brunt of heavy loads and exercises intended for greater flexibility. With all of these systems working together constantly, it's no wonder that many of us suffer from one form of back injury or another.
Muscles may tear or strain from excessive work, or the cartilage between the vertebrae may slip out of place or become worn beyond repair. Some people develop a form of arthritis in their backs, or suffer from degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis or scoliosis. As a result, much of the population suffers from weakened backs.
The first thing to realize about having a weakened back is that you WILL have some problems performing activities you may believe are routine. Many injuries which aggravate weak backs are caused by people attempting too much too soon or not accepting their natural limitations. Before resuming any physical activity involving your back, try to accept the fact that you now have limitations. Through physical rehabilitation and pain management, you might be able to regain much of the back strength you lost after the accident or surgical procedure, but it would be unrealistic to expect 100% recovery. The best safety tip comes from within- understand what you can and cannot do safely with your particular back injury or condition. Few people can stop you from climbing a ladder or lifting a heavy box except you.
Specifically, there are some activities people with weakened back should avoid doing altogether. Other activities may need to be modified to prevent further injury. Here are some general types of activities people with back ailments should avoid or modify:
1. Heavy lifting. Most of us have heard the standard warning about lifting with our legs instead of our backs. This is great advice, but it needs to go farther when it comes to existing back injuries. Lifting a heavy box from the floor by bending at the knees will indeed prevent the back muscles from pulling the entire weight. But once the package has been lifted to the waist, the load has now been shifted primarily to the arms and shoulders, which are located at the top of the spinal structure. The spine is now compressed as the weight of the box pulls against the shoulder and upper vertebrae. Eventually the abdominal and lower back muscles will bear much of the dead weight. For people with weakened backs, this can cause further injury.
After lifting a heavy object with your legs, the next step for those with bad backs should be to find something which can hold the object for you. If you lift a large package from the ground, clear out a space on a work table or a wheeled cart. The less time you have to hold a large object at your waist, the better. You might also want to see if the object really needs to be lifted at all. A heavy box containing multiple parts might just as easily be opened on the floor and the individual parts transferred.
2. Overhead lifting. One of the least supported positions is an overhead lift. All of the weight and balance is placed on your arms, which must remain in tension until the object is released. The weight of that object is ultimately transferred to the spine, which is now in compression. If the object's center of gravity should shift, the arms and back must make major adjustments under strain. This is one of the worst maneuvers someone with a weak back can perform. Instead of lifting an object overhead, try to raise your body to the level of the task. If a box must be placed in an overhead cabinet, try using a step ladder to bring your arms as level with the cabinet door as possible. If the box cannot rest on a shelf or table, have someone else hand you the box from below. You'll also want to align yourself so you won't have to twist as you lift. This advice holds true for other activities such as house painting- move your ladder to the next section instead of twisting to reach a new spot.
3. Excessive bending at the waist. Many people are asked to perform tasks which appear very simple at first. Moving a couch from one end of the room to the other may sound easy, but for those with weakened backs it can be disastrous. Anytime you bend completely over at the waist, the back muscles must be involved. These muscles are designed to do one thing well- support the spinal column. Unlike the arm, abdominal or leg muscles, they are not especially good at handling dead weight lifts. Bending over to pick up the bottom of a couch will force the back muscles to assume a lot of weight while extended. Because they are not especially strong in contraction, back muscles are easily pulled or torn. The result can be the common injury known as a wrenched back. One sudden move can cause an injury which will last for days or aggravate existing back problems. Those with bad backs should automatically decline requests for furniture moving or other labor-intensive activities such as gardening.
Instead of risking a back injury, try using furniture moving disks or a hand truck. Inform those around you about your weakened back- trying to keep up with healthy furniture movers can only lead to trouble. If you still feel like assisting people, offer to perform other tasks which won't injure your back, such as packing and labeling boxes or driving the moving van.
4. Twisting motions. Twisting from side to side in a natural arc isn't a dangerous act in and of itself, but those with bad backs should avoid doing it with additional weight. Twisting puts a significant amount of tension on the back's support structure. Lifting a heavy object from one side and twisting your back to place it on the other can be a bad maneuver. Instead of twisting in place, those with bad backs may want to modify their action. Placing the heavy object on a cart and moving that cart to the unloading area will usually prevent unnatural twisting. People with weak backs may also try changing directions with their legs instead of their backs.
