BODY MECHANICS FOR STRENGTH & HEALTH

Body Mechanics

FOR STRENGTH & HEALTH

BY JANELLE NORMAN, PT

As a physical therapist, I analyze how people are moving through space all day long. It actually comes very naturally to think of correct posture and how we move. My uncle, Ron Fuller (Shawnee), taught knapping courses in Spavinaw, Oklahoma for many years. He taught his students to hold their wrist a certain way and sit with proper posture so as not to cause an injury. His chipping stone used to make the arrowheads had to fit his hand just right so he did not have to work too hard. He had to sit carefully so that he did not cause a back injury and he used the larger muscles instead of the smaller hand muscles.

Posture, like our Moms taught us, is important. Your posture is either upright, or not, according to how you sit or stand. The term “body mechanics” refers to your posture moving through space. Having correct posture during movement will prevent many injuries. A lot of our body’s energy every day goes towards bone building and bone tearing down. The way your bone lays down and reforms is directly correlated to the stresses put on it.

Some common injuries we see in clinic from poor posture and body mechanics are carpal tunnel; low back pain and strains; and knee and ankle injuries, to name a few. Just sitting slumped can mimic carpal tunnel, which is a nerve entrapment of the wrists. This is common for people who sit in front of a computer for long periods. When you slump, you can pinch the nerve at the neck, mimicking carpal tunnel injuries. Sitting with poor posture can also cause undue stress on the neck muscles and upper back muscles, causing pain in the neck and upper back, sometimes radiating to the shoulder. Proper sitting posture is not difficult! Imagine sitting or standing fully upright, with your head as tall towards the ceiling as it can go, as if a string was pulling from the posterior part of the top of your head. This keeps the normal curves of your back aligned.

Another common injury with poor posture is low back pain or strain. We see this a lot in out-patient clinics or even in hospitals.

Commonly people tend to bend over and lift things up from the ground bending their back, and not using the larger muscles of the legs. Lifting correctly with your legs will keep the normal curve in your back and protect you from injury.

To correctly lift, using proper body mechanics, you must keep the normal curve in the back and bend at the legs.

First, check the object that you are attempting to lift. If you cannot budge it, ask someone for help; don’t attempt to lift it on your own.

Second, if it is easy to lift, keep the curve in your back and lift with your legs.

Low back pain is commonly caused by tight hamstrings. The hamstrings are connected to the tibia and fibula (leg bones) and the ischial tuberosity (the bottom of the pelvis.) When the hamstrings are tight they can pull on the pelvis, flattening the normal lordotic curve of the back, causing pain and injury. This is easily prevented with a few simple stretches.

One of my favorite ways to prevent lower back pain is to stretch the hamstrings three ways while wearing shoes. 1) Lie on your back and bring your knee towards your armpit on the same side. Pull from your thigh, not from the front of your knee, so as not to cause knee problems. Give a long gentle stretch, but no bouncing. 2) Gently straighten your leg to a partly bended position using a strap, belt or sheet. This will stretch your middle hamstrings. Give a long, slow stretch for several minutes. 3) Stretch your whole leg straight, with gentle contraction of your quads or the top muscles of your leg and pull with your strap, belt, or sheet to bring your hamstrings into a full stretch, gently. The opposite leg should be bent at the knee and your foot on the floor to keep your lower back protected. You should not be in pain. Only stretch to comfort and to tolerance.

It’s truly amazing that if you simply stretch your muscles you can have full range of motion and function. Tight muscles cannot lengthen to their full length, so they cannot function to their full capacity. Being flexible is very beneficial for your whole body.

Keeping strong and active is another way to protect your back with lifting and moving. As a physical therapist I see a lot of disuse atrophy, which mean overall weakness of people. During this last year with COVID-19 it has been difficult for people to get out of their homes and even just to walk. Walking is a good strengthening activity. Keeping the muscles strong all around the back will help protect your back when you are lifting, working or just having fun. Changing your activities frequently will help prevent injury. My daughter, a dental hygienist, is working over people’s mouths all day long. She has to take a break to stretch the opposite way in order to prevent injuries. She takes classes with stretching to make sure she remains flexible and prevent injury. She has been educated in proper posture and body mechanics in her schooling in order to prevent injury as well.

We all want to feel good and be healthy. Keeping proper posture and body mechanics during our activities will help us to prevent injury. Staying active and strong will help us enjoy both our jobs and hobbies and live our lives to the fullest.

Janelle Norman is a physical therapist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She enjoys gardening, being outdoors and spending time with her family.