The holidays are upon us, and many folks are busy — shopping, baking, buying, decorating and lifting. Yes, lifting. Buying often means the arrival of large postal packages that need to be lifted and maneuvered into the house. Holiday decorating often means lifting heavy boxes out of storage for another season of “all things merry and bright.” And let’s not even get into lifting kids at various holiday events as the young and young at heart struggle to catch a glimpse of Santa.

While it may not seem like a big deal in the moment, lots of lifting can lead to awkward movements and repetitive stress in the joints.

More Than Bending at the Knees

As a Physical Therapist, I have treated thousands of patients with low back pain. During my initial examinations, I ask patients to squat down as if they had to pick up an object from the floor without giving them any visual or verbal cues to guide them. Almost every patient bends at their knees before hips or simply bends over at their waist first. When I point out that they bend at their knees first, it then causes the body to shift forward, and it increases the load on the knees and lumbar joints.

Most health professionals that I treat say they were taught to bend at the knees to lift a patient. We then have a conversation about how to flex at the hips first like a hinge, and then we flex at the knees to lift a patient or any object safely. Learning how to use the hip muscles to lift, will help reduce forces over the back and knees.

The 5 L’s of Lifting

Let’s discuss the 5 L’s of lifting for proper body mechanics applicable to any lifting situation.

LEVERAGE:

Simply put, get close to the object or person you are about to lift. Your muscles work more efficiently when closer to the load being lifted.

LUNGS:

Keep breathing and try not to hold your breath. The rule of thumb is inhale when you pull an object, and exhale when you push an object.

LUMBAR:

Keep your back straight by flexing at your hips before knees for a hip hinge. The hips unlock a split second before the knees to allow the Lumbar spine to remain in a neutral position.

LEGS:

By successfully flexing at the hips then knees for a hip hinge, it stretches the glutes and quadriceps, allowing them to contract forcefully if necessary. As the hips and knees extend to lift a patient or object, the Lumbar spine is held in neutral.

LOAD:

Find out how heavy the object or person is you are about to lift. This could be done with a scale or with an attempt to lift the object. If you know the patient or object is heavy, then it is time to ask for help for the lift.

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Even if you develop perfect lift form, it is still important to ask for help when lifting heavy objects or when lifting light objects repetitively throughout the day. It is also important for health professionals to keep their core and lower extremity musculature strong and flexible to deal with the rigors of lifting. If back pain develops after 24 hours after a lift, and the pain doesn’t resolve within two weeks, then it is time to seek out a WakeMed Physical Therapist for care and lift training to prevent a relapse. A personalized rehab program will have to be designed for you to achieve a healthy, strong, flexible back and leg musculature.