Tag Archives: back pain

6 Tips for Proper Lifting

Written by: Julie Wolfley, PT, DPT

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About 80 percent of the US population experiences back pain in their adult life with a small percentage developing long term disability.1 Lifting the wrong way can contribute to back injuries. Lifting improperly can also cause injury to other areas like the neck, shoulder and knee muscles, joints and ligaments. To prevent injuring yourself and adapt proper lifting techniques, here are a few helpful tips:

 

  1. When lifting a heavy object from the ground…face the object you will be lifting, bend your knees into a squat position and use two hands to lift the object. You could also put one knee on the ground, pick up the object and then stand up.

  1. Once the heavy object is lifted…hold and carry it at your belly button region to avoid twisting your back. For example, carry your laundry basket in front of you rather than on your hip to avoid twisting your back.
  2. When lifting an object from above shoulder level…avoid arching yourself backwards too far. Get a stepping stool to get yourself closer to the object or stagger your legs and shift your weight onto your back leg.
  3. When getting out of bed…roll to your side first and then sit up instead of sitting straight up. This will decrease stress on your low back.
  4. When vacuuming…push and pull the handle from your belly button region to prevent twisting your back repetitively.
  5. When standing up from a chair…bring your buttocks to the edge of the chair, lean forward a little and push up from your legs.

If you would like one-on-one instructions on proper ways to move, you can call any of our Sports PT locations and one of our physical therapist’s can work with you. If you have injured yourself while lifting, you should call your doctor or call Sports PT and with Direct Access we can get you in within 24 hours to start your recovery.

 

Saratoga PTs Host a Community Education Night

Written by: Sports PT Blog Team

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The best teachers always know that learning should be fun. How many Physical Therapy clinics do you know open their door to the community to educate, treat aches and pains, raffle off prizes and supply refreshments? Well, we know one, and so do 37 other people from the Saratoga community. On March 7th, our Saratoga team rolled out the welcome mat to the community for a free evening of education and fun where common injuries and strategies to avoid these injuries were discussed.

 

Do you sit for hours and hours every day? Many of us do. Two staff physical therapists, Jeff Fear, PT, MPT, and Shane Connors, MSPT, DPT, spoke about “The Painful Truth about Sitting”. These PTs have treated hundreds of patients with pain resulting from sitting for too long. They highlighted that sitting for too long can wreak havoc on our posture contributing to neck and lower back pain. In fact, office workers, have a higher risk for developing neck pain compared to the general population.1 Exercise can help to minimize the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Some creative strategies were shared with the audience to combat these negative effects. The main recommendation was to practice active sitting. Some examples of active sitting are putting objects that you use most often farthest away from you, setting a timer every 30 minutes for a “get up and walk” reminder, or using a smaller water bottle so you have to keep getting up to refill it.

The second lecture of the evening was polar opposite from the first lecture. Apparently, once we get up form our chairs, many of us become runners. Twenty-five to 70% of runners report overuse injuries each year.2 Our Facility Manager, Alison Synakowski, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, and staff therapist, Jennifer Szymanski, PT, DPT, discussed “Common Injuries in Runners and the Importance of Cross Training”. Although running is great exercise, it is not enough to keep our bodies healthy. Cross training, or alternative exercise to running, can help to minimize the risk of injury, strengthen muscles that are not used during running, and can also improve your cardiovascular fitness. Both PTs suggested to get moving with multiple activities to decrease your chances of overuse injuries. Activities such as swimming, cycling, using the elliptical machine, and even walking are great alternatives to running.

With lots of Q&A throughout the evening, past patients reuniting with their PTs, and delicious refreshments, it’s safe to say that all involved learned something new and had fun!