Avoiding pain in children and teenagers

Rules General population Older people Children and teenagers Back care while lying down Back care while sitting. Back care while lifting weight. Back care while standing up. Back care while getting up and sitting. Back care while bending. Carrying books to school. Housework Workers Sports

Back care when lifting weight

Different techniques will allow you to lift weight with a lesser risk to your back: the traditional lift, the cervical lift, the diagonal lift or tilted lifting. In any case, you should always transport weight close to your body and raise weights only to your chest level.

a) Traditional Lift:

Loading weight "traditionally" (frontally, weight is lifted with legs straightened, flexing the spine forward) is always harmful. If there is no other alternative, in order to make it less harmful, always make sure that your knees are bent and your spine is arched backward, never forward.

b) Vertical Lift:

Lean over bending your knees, with your back straight and head lifted, resting both feet completely on the floor, slightly apart (feet should be approximately parallel to the hips) and as near as possible to the weight you will lift. Hold the weight in your arms, keeping it as close to the body as possible and stand up stretching your legs and keeping your back straight or slightly arched backward, never forward. If the weight is heavy, keep your legs flexed while carrying it.

1. Keep your back straight
2. Keep the load as close to the body as possible
3. Feet as near as possible to the load

c) Diagonal Lift:

Lean over bending your knees, with your back straight and head lifted. Rest both feet on the floor: one placed slightly ahead of the other; with the tip of the toe placed behind touching the edge of the weight you are about to lift, in such a manner that your trunk is practically over the weight. Hold the weight in your arms as close as possible to your body, and stand up straightening your legs, keeping your back straight or slightly arched backward, never forward. If the weight is heavy, keep the legs slightly flexed while loading it.

d) Tilted Lifting:

If you cannot lift an object with the techniques previously described (for example if there is an obstacle), and the weight is light, bend forward while you raise to the back the leg which is opposite the arm lifting the load. This decreases the arch of the lumbar spine caused by the inclination.

1. Keep your back straight
2. Raise the leg which is opposite to the arm lifting the load

e) Transporting the Weight:

You should transport the weight as close as possible to your body at all times. Carrying weight with your arms fully extended could make your spine support a load 10-fold greater than the actual weight. If the weight is heavy, while transporting it, walk with your knees flexed. Never bend over with your legs stretched, nor make partial turns of parts of the body while holding up the weight.

1. Transport the weight as close as possible to your body
2. Never bend with your legs stretched

f) Lifting Weight:

Lift weight only to the level of your chest, with your elbows flexed to ensure the load is near to the body. If you have to raise the weight, get on a stool or on a ladder.