Lift Right!

Incorrect Lifting

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than a million workers suffer back injuries each year, and they account for one out of every five workplace injuries or illnesses.

Many back injuries, both on the job and in the home, are the result of improper lifting. Remember to practice proper lifting technique to prevent serious injury to your back.

  1. Plan ahead – know the weight of the object and where you are going; clear the path you will be using.
  2. Make sure you are on firm footing; keep your feet spread apart, one foot slightly ahead of the other.
  3. Squat down - bend at the knees, keeping your back straight and your head level, to pick up the object.
  4. Avoid jerky movements; lift smoothly as you straighten your legs.
  5. Keep the object close to your body -holding it away from you places stress on your back.
  6. Turn with your feet instead of twisting your body at the waist.
  7. Never bend at the waist to pick up an object!

Keep in mind that if an object is particularly heavy, you may need a hand truck, a dolly, or another person to assist you with moving it. Don’t compromise your safety or your back to lift any object.

 Dr. Daryl Asks some important questions of interest to New York residents - Chiropractor New York Dr. Daryl Asks...

How could a child benefit from chiropractic?
Regardless of our age, each of us in New York encounters physical, chemical and emotional stresses that exceed our ability to handle. For newborns, it could be the trauma encountered at birth. For toddlers it could be from learning to walk or ride a bike. Many of the problems we chiropractors see in adults are the result of neglected traumas from childhood.
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our New York chiropractic practice.