Body Mechanics
Body mechanics are the mechanics of how you use your body to perform different tasks.
Instruction in the task of lifting and bending is well known because these are the most common activities that cause people to develop back pain. Most of life’s activities involve stooping, bending, and twisting. As we get older, we tend to slump and stiffen hips and thighs. This causes more stress on the spine for bending.
Good body mechanics is maintaining a neutral spine. Avoid extremes of spinal bending, extending, and twisting especially while moving a load.
The habit of good body mechanics is like the habit of good posture. It is important to protect a painful back so that it can progress through the stages of healing. It promotes tissue health by reducing the cumulative wear and tear on the muscles, connective tissue, and discs.
When lifting heavy loads, the common saying is “Use your knees, not your back.” This implies that we are supposed to keep the back completely straight and squat down with our knees. Unfortunately, this strategy is not useful for this situation. It causes high pressure loads on the knee joints and isn’t the most efficient way of getting a load off the floor especially for the quadricep muscles.
The saying should be changed to use your hips, not your back!
Hinging forward at the hips while keeping a relatively straight back maintains a strong muscular support of the spine, engages the gluts to help the back muscles, and gives the quads a better advantage for controlling the knees.
The contents of BackPainExplained web site including the text, graphics, images, and other material are for informational purposes only. The content of this web site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek advice of your physician or other qualified health professional with questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not delay seeking medical advice or disregard professional treatment advice because of something that you have read on BackPainExplained.
Call your physician or 911 if you think that you have a medical emergency. Reliance on any information within BackPainExplained web site is solely at your own risk.