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graphic image of the same "Z" that appears in the Prizm logoHow to lift without hurting your back

Stretch slowly, and stop if you experience sharp pain.

Strengthening exercises

Lift
in three views, a woman picks up a box by first lying on one knee to lift, then using the legs to stand up

Put one knee on the ground, and use your arms and legs to move the object up onto the opposite thigh. Stand up. Never bend at the waist while lifting.

When lifting, maneuver the object close to your body, and use the strength in your legs to get the object off the ground, rather than your low back.

Have you ever heard of anyone straining a thigh muscle while lifting? Probably not. That is because the muscles in the legs are longer, stronger and more resistant to strain. The muscles and ligaments in the back are shorter and prone to muscle spasm.

Start with one knee on the floor, use the strength of your arms to raise the object up onto your mid-thigh, then use the power of your legs to stand up. An alternate method is to bend both knees in a squatting position, grasp the object keeping fingers underneath it, keep your back erect and stand up. In both examples, use your leg muscles, not your back, to generate the lifting force.

 


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Need more information on back and neck pain?
Click the above link to view resource books on spine problems. Find out what causes back pain, what causes neck pain, and when to see the doctor.

Prizm
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books titled "Treat Your Own Back Without Surgery"

 

PacificaSpine®
1752 S. Victoria Ave, Suite 220 | Ventura, CA 93003
3262 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 100 | Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
11420 N. Ventura Ave., | Ojai, CA 93023

Treating back and neck pain sufferers from across Ventura County, including patients from City of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Ventura, Camarillo and Ojai.