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Poor lifting technique can cause a back injury

Depending on your profession, you may find yourself lifting heavy items on a regular basis. For example, this often holds true for warehouse and construction workers.

Although you take steps to remain in good health, you never know when you could suffer a back injury.

One of the best ways to combat back injuries is to use the proper lifting technique. This is no guarantee that you will never suffer an injury, but it can definitely go a long way in keeping you healthy.

Here are some of the things you can do to improve your lifting technique:

– Bend your knees while keeping your back straight. You should never bend at the waist when lifting a heavy item.

– Keep the object as close to you as possible. The farther away the object is from your body the more stress it places on your back.

– Don’t hold an item lower than your knees or higher than your shoulders.

– Never attempt to move an item that weighs in excess of 20 percent of your body weight.

– Don’t turn or twist while lifting.

Poor lifting technique does not always lead to a back injury, but it can definitely increase the likelihood of something bad happening.

If you’re injured on the job, don’t hesitate to report this to your employer. Also, you should receive immediate medical attention. You may think you can treat the issue on your own, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. This will also help you receive workers’ compensation benefits should you decide to file a claim.

Source: Web MD, “How to Wreck Your Back,” accessed March 09, 2017