Another contributing cause of back problems

Another contributing cause of back problems is practicing poor lift technique. According to spokesman for UPS Dan McMackin, “improper bending and lifting causes back injury; that’s all there is to it”. I personally have seen someone suffer from the effects of poor lifting technique. My college friend is a gym buff who doesn’t just go the gym for the health benefits. He likes the attention he gets from lifting heavy waits. Time after time I’ve watched him put far too much weight on the machines to look extremely strong and “ripped”, but the added weight causes him to struggle lifting the weight fluidly and correctly. As a result, he has strained muscles in his upper and lower back and had stopped going to the gym regularly due to the pain. He’s not alone in this situation; numerous people suffer the consequences of not properly lifting heavy objects. McMackin says that the basic principles UPS uses for safe lifting, principles that all people should use, are bending your knees and keeping your back straight, keeping the object close to your body, not pivoting or twisting while lifting, and never lifting something that weighs twenty percent more than one’s body weight. These techniques can help you avoid chronic back pain in the future. A chiropractor might use massage therapy to treat back pain as a result of poor lift technique. Massage therapy reduces stiffness and musculoskeletal pain. According to Arctic Chiropractic Juneau’s website, the benefits of massage include a reduction in swelling, relief of muscle pain and spasms, relaxed muscles, increased blood flow and circulation, and an increase in the bodies range of motion.
The final common way people develop back problems, an issue I’m guilty of myself, is placing higher importance on fashion than on comfort and health. While sky-high stilettos are an obvious contributor to back pain, stylish flats and flip-flops can cause problems too. “Sandals and flip-flops often provide little, if any, arch support,” says Megan Tabor, a chiropractor at the Osher Clinical Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She says that shoes should fit properly and offer good arch and heel support. Purses are also to blame for back problems if they are huge and lugged on one shoulder. I myself have experienced shoulder and back fatigue after toting around a large purse for multiple hours. To prevent future back pain caused by clothing, Tabor urges people to wear alternate styles of shoes throughout the week--from high to low, sneakers to sandals--and avoid wearing a particular pair every day. She also suggests carrying bags with wide, padded straps and to carry them messenger style to lighten the load. Chiropractors, like the ones at Arctic Chiropractors Juneau, commonly give lifestyle advice as a way to treat back pain. Life style advice coaches patients on activities they could do differently or avoid all together. For example, a piece of life style advice to prevent back pain due to choices in fashion would be to offer alternative shoe and accessory choices.
In summation, back pain is extremely common and can be caused by extremely common occurrences. Some of these occurrences are completing tasks in an absentminded manner, lifting objects with improper technique, and making clothing and fashion choices that are tolling on the body. However, there are simple solutions to these simple causes such as training your muscles, educating yourself on proper lift techniques, and investing in supportive shoes and clothing. Chiropractors also offer numerous different methods to treat back pain such as massage therapy, corrective exercise, and life style advice.