Do you want to know why some people’s backs “go out” when bending and lifting something up? They bend and lift with bad form and do not activate their core properly.
Here are five important steps you need to take when lifting to avoid a severe episode of back pain:
- Position your body’s COM (center of mass) directly above the object you are lifting.
- Get equal pressure on the heels and balls of both feet.
- Keep your knees centered above your feet.
- Make your spine long and straight with no bending or arching.
- Create and maintain IAP (intra-abdominal pressure) before and throughout the entire squat and lift. Create IAP by tightening up your abdominals as if someone is going to punch you in the stomach. No sucking in your abs! Your entire abdominal wall should push out and firm up.
Creating and maintaining IAP is one of the most critical parts! Many people do not create IAP or lose it somewhere during the movement. When this happens, stress suddenly occurs in the spine and this is the reason why many backs “go out.”
Most people who end up in my office with back pain bend and lift with bad form. This is what causes tight muscles, discs to herniate, degenerate and spines to “wear out” over time.
We have a unique and different approach because we look for poor posture and movement patterns that are causing the pain. We then teach patients exercises that retrain their brain to move with better form to avoid future episodes of back pain.
If you or someone close to you is suffering with ongoing back problems, contact us to see if we can help.