Getting injured at work is a sad reality for a lot of people. Very often we try to do too much and end up getting into trouble physically with an injury being the result. Back injuries are the worst because of how common they are and how painful they can be. In some cases, you can end up with back pain for years because of an injury at work.
Sure, you can hire a personal injury lawyer to help you such as Lamber Goodnow, but it is always best to avoid the injury at all costs. You may get compensation but you will still have back pain. In this article, we will go over several ways to avoid getting a back injury at work.
1. Lift The Correct Way
The most common cause of a back injury is lifting heavy objects without the proper form. If you don’t lift correctly, you will strain your back and end up injured. If you lift a box or other heavy item with your back bent over then you are forcing your back muscles to do all of the work. They weren’t built for that.
Instead, bend your legs while keeping your back straight, and then come to a standing position. This has your legs doing the work and using muscles that can handle the strain. It is also easier to lift this way. When you lift with your back it feels much heavier than it actually is. Lifting with your legs makes the item seem a lot lighter and takes less effort.
2. Wear The Right Gear
There are things that you can wear that will also protect you and your back from injuries at work. For instance, it is really important to wear a brace when you need to lift a heavy object. Even when you use your legs to lift, you may not have the perfect position to avoid any strain on your back. A brace will work to make sure that your muscles are held intact so they don’t end up getting strained or pulled.
Wearing gloves will also work well since you can easily lose your grip when lifting with bare hands. Gloves will give you extra grip and allow you to hold onto the item much better. This prevents you from losing your grip and causing an injury as you try to not drop it.
3. Strengthen Your Core
When you have to lift heavy items frequently then the stronger your core is the more likely you’ll be able to avoid an injury. Your core is where your overall strength resides and those muscles will protect your back. The muscles around your abdomen and lower back need to be strong to handle the strain from lifting so it is wise to exercise with those muscles in mind.
Have a trainer help you come up with a workout routine that will improve your core strength at the gym and you will find that lifting is not as difficult as it used to be.
