I don't want my back to fucking hate me...
August 9, 2011 8:48 AM Subscribe
Help me avoid lower back pain at my new (physical) job. Snowflake details inside.
About a week ago, I started my job unloading trucks and sorting freight in the back room of a store. At this point, I'm working 4-5 days/week for four hours, most of this time spent somehow lifting or carrying boxes; my hours will likely increase in the next few months. This morning, the coworker training me told me that I should be prepared for "[my] lower back to fucking hate [me]." I'd like to avoid this as much as possible. I generally lift anything heavy correctly (with my knees, not with my back). The heaviest boxes I'll encounter regularly are 40-50lbs, which I can carry without a problem, although at this point I sort of lack the upper body strength to really get them over my head. This will come with time, though, obviously.
I'm 21, female, 5'9" and around 160lbs, but I've been slowly losing weight lately. (I have a pretty big frame, though, so am only very slightly overweight.) I'm small-chested, so that's not contributing to things. I have generally good posture.
I don't have a history of injuries, but I do have plantar fasciitis, which was diagnosed a year ago. Previous to my diagnosis, I had hyperpronated pretty severely for about twelve years; my podiatrist said I had one of the worst cases he had seen in someone as young as me. I wear custom orthotics for that, stretch my hamstrings and Achilles tendon when I remember, and have noticed a marked improvement in my foot and knee pain and my degree of pronation -- even when I'm barefoot (not often), my feet hardly overpronate.
So, Metafilter, what do I do? Are there stretches I can do before work? After work? Quick things I can do during work? Things that aren't stretches that I haven't thought of?
About a week ago, I started my job unloading trucks and sorting freight in the back room of a store. At this point, I'm working 4-5 days/week for four hours, most of this time spent somehow lifting or carrying boxes; my hours will likely increase in the next few months. This morning, the coworker training me told me that I should be prepared for "[my] lower back to fucking hate [me]." I'd like to avoid this as much as possible. I generally lift anything heavy correctly (with my knees, not with my back). The heaviest boxes I'll encounter regularly are 40-50lbs, which I can carry without a problem, although at this point I sort of lack the upper body strength to really get them over my head. This will come with time, though, obviously.
I'm 21, female, 5'9" and around 160lbs, but I've been slowly losing weight lately. (I have a pretty big frame, though, so am only very slightly overweight.) I'm small-chested, so that's not contributing to things. I have generally good posture.
I don't have a history of injuries, but I do have plantar fasciitis, which was diagnosed a year ago. Previous to my diagnosis, I had hyperpronated pretty severely for about twelve years; my podiatrist said I had one of the worst cases he had seen in someone as young as me. I wear custom orthotics for that, stretch my hamstrings and Achilles tendon when I remember, and have noticed a marked improvement in my foot and knee pain and my degree of pronation -- even when I'm barefoot (not often), my feet hardly overpronate.
So, Metafilter, what do I do? Are there stretches I can do before work? After work? Quick things I can do during work? Things that aren't stretches that I haven't thought of?
Okay, so no meat but if you're looking to gain muscle that will help you you'll need protein of some sort. As a vegetarian your protein choices are not optimal, but there are lots of vegetarian who make it work.
Would you eat whey protein drink/supplements?
posted by unixrat at 9:07 AM on August 9, 2011
Would you eat whey protein drink/supplements?
posted by unixrat at 9:07 AM on August 9, 2011
Do Dr. Root's back exercises every night, like I do.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:16 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:16 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wear a back brace/support, they are awesome. Do lots of ab work, it can help support your back, the strength will come in time. Your back may be sore initially from working more than its used to, but following proper form, stretching, and doing plenty of exercise will keep a lot of back problems in check.
I eat mostly vegan and I am strong and muscely for a girl, so that is really a non issue.
posted by stormygrey at 9:18 AM on August 9, 2011
I eat mostly vegan and I am strong and muscely for a girl, so that is really a non issue.
posted by stormygrey at 9:18 AM on August 9, 2011
Strong backs are healthy backs. I have often believed that my steady diet of deadlifts have protected me from ever getting a back injury. The doctor I spoke to about exercise agreed. Even a 135# DL would have protective effects as far as strengthening your lower back and other "core" (how I hate that term) muscles.
posted by Sternmeyer at 9:31 AM on August 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Sternmeyer at 9:31 AM on August 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
A progressive strength training program of squats and deadlifts, done with correct form and a non-trivial loads.
No amount of situps will strengthen your lumbar region - in fact you're more likely to end up with tight hip flexors, which will only add to the stress carried by your back and hamstrings and thus invite more back sprains.
Check your pelvic alignment and stretch and strengthen the necessary muscles: most people have very underactive glutes as a result of anterior pelvic tilt, so anything that gets your butt to do it's share of work (e.g. ass-to-grass squats, lunges, bridges) will be of tremendous benefit in the long run.
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 9:55 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
No amount of situps will strengthen your lumbar region - in fact you're more likely to end up with tight hip flexors, which will only add to the stress carried by your back and hamstrings and thus invite more back sprains.
Check your pelvic alignment and stretch and strengthen the necessary muscles: most people have very underactive glutes as a result of anterior pelvic tilt, so anything that gets your butt to do it's share of work (e.g. ass-to-grass squats, lunges, bridges) will be of tremendous benefit in the long run.
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 9:55 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't have a history of injuries...
yet... these kinds of jobs chew through workers. It really only takes one bad mistake to put you into the category of people with back problems, even if you are 21.
The thing is that you *are* doing exercises to strengthen your muscles: your job. The question is whether you are doing the exercises correctly and whether other factors (like, say, your boss) will lead to mistakes. If they expect you to rush, rush, rush, you will make mistakes and you, not them, will pay for it with your body.
Basically, if they are expecting you to work at a hectic pace, overload, stack over your head, improper loading dock, etc. you are going to leave this job with an injury... and your boss will tell you it's your fault. You need to be able to work at a deliberate pace, not be in situations where you know you are going to strain, and you need to be able to take breaks and, most importantly, not work hurt.
If you feel like you are hurting yourself:
"[my] lower back to fucking hate [me]."
you probably are hurting yourself and you need to be able to quit (even if you need the paycheck your back is worth way more to you.)
posted by ennui.bz at 10:23 AM on August 9, 2011
yet... these kinds of jobs chew through workers. It really only takes one bad mistake to put you into the category of people with back problems, even if you are 21.
The thing is that you *are* doing exercises to strengthen your muscles: your job. The question is whether you are doing the exercises correctly and whether other factors (like, say, your boss) will lead to mistakes. If they expect you to rush, rush, rush, you will make mistakes and you, not them, will pay for it with your body.
Basically, if they are expecting you to work at a hectic pace, overload, stack over your head, improper loading dock, etc. you are going to leave this job with an injury... and your boss will tell you it's your fault. You need to be able to work at a deliberate pace, not be in situations where you know you are going to strain, and you need to be able to take breaks and, most importantly, not work hurt.
If you feel like you are hurting yourself:
"[my] lower back to fucking hate [me]."
you probably are hurting yourself and you need to be able to quit (even if you need the paycheck your back is worth way more to you.)
posted by ennui.bz at 10:23 AM on August 9, 2011
I'm an amateur self-treater but think that I have been lucky enough to find information much better than standard advice, so make of this what you will. From my perspective, the likely danger will be that the repetitive work and possibly unaccustomed one off exertions will create trigger points in muscles. These can cause pain themselves (often 'referred pain' in a slightly different place in the body), shorten/tighten muscles which causes knock on posture and trigger point effects, and also squeeze and irritate nerves.
The latter can cause low back pain through the piriformis muscle messing with the sciatic nerve.
So the prevention and cure blend into one another.
IMO the commonly quoted health and safety advice about lifting with the knees not the back is wrong. You have to do it holistically otherwise it's just creating another unnatural stress somewhere else, and deadlifting something off the ground seems like a natural motion.
So I would say have a look at weight training guides on the web about doing deadlifts properly and get a feel for it at home when you can relax. You might be doing something similar to a sandbag deadlift with round back, or a bit like a sumo deadlift and check out different variations of squats.
I also don't know what the back brace is doing in this scenario. I don't have experience with them so can't say for sure, but it seems like they may create a slightly unnatural motion and stop some muscles strengthening which doesn't seem good and it likely won't be just the back muscles getting strained that causes pain it will be the gluteal/hip flexor muscles so..i dunno really.
A good prevention thing would be to find and treat trigger points in your psoas muscle, a deep abdominal muscle which gives 'core' strength and can also cause back pain.
Also find and treat your piriformis to head of problems and gluteus medius which could refer pain to the lower back.
Then for ongoing prevention and cure, learn about the other muscles in the back, buttocks and rest of the body and get into a programme of 'repair and preventative maintenance'
Use a good trigger point reference book that has diagrams of referred pain and trigger points and good rational methodology, not something that tries to co-opt it as being something like acupressure or based on airy fairy stuff.
posted by Not Supplied at 12:58 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
The latter can cause low back pain through the piriformis muscle messing with the sciatic nerve.
So the prevention and cure blend into one another.
IMO the commonly quoted health and safety advice about lifting with the knees not the back is wrong. You have to do it holistically otherwise it's just creating another unnatural stress somewhere else, and deadlifting something off the ground seems like a natural motion.
So I would say have a look at weight training guides on the web about doing deadlifts properly and get a feel for it at home when you can relax. You might be doing something similar to a sandbag deadlift with round back, or a bit like a sumo deadlift and check out different variations of squats.
I also don't know what the back brace is doing in this scenario. I don't have experience with them so can't say for sure, but it seems like they may create a slightly unnatural motion and stop some muscles strengthening which doesn't seem good and it likely won't be just the back muscles getting strained that causes pain it will be the gluteal/hip flexor muscles so..i dunno really.
A good prevention thing would be to find and treat trigger points in your psoas muscle, a deep abdominal muscle which gives 'core' strength and can also cause back pain.
Also find and treat your piriformis to head of problems and gluteus medius which could refer pain to the lower back.
Then for ongoing prevention and cure, learn about the other muscles in the back, buttocks and rest of the body and get into a programme of 'repair and preventative maintenance'
Use a good trigger point reference book that has diagrams of referred pain and trigger points and good rational methodology, not something that tries to co-opt it as being something like acupressure or based on airy fairy stuff.
posted by Not Supplied at 12:58 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
The only good one I've seen over here is the 'Trigger point therapy workbook' which is like an accessible but proper guide one level down from the real medical books. I don't work for them.
posted by Not Supplied at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Not Supplied at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2011
I did almost nothing but handle boxes 4 hours per day 5 days a week for something like 8 years (19 to 27 year old male at the time). I managed to do it without ever injuring my back but I did pull my groin and had some issues with tendonitis in my wrists. You are right to be thinking about how to avoid injuries. Lifting with your legs is important but keeping your balance in mind is also important. If a box starts to get away from you it is easy to injure your back trying to recover control of it. If you're about to lift something you think might be near your limit, as I lifted it I would keep in mind how to safely drop it if it starts to get away from you.
posted by Carbolic at 1:33 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Carbolic at 1:33 PM on August 9, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by naturalog at 8:49 AM on August 9, 2011