Avoid back pain and copying a toddler: lifting and carrying technique

Watching my toddler move to pick something up is a beautiful sight,… and no I am not just being a tedious mum. I am in fact being a tediousPhysiotherapist because it’s actually the perfect biomechanics of his hips, knees and back that give me such enjoyment! What a physio nerd!

Seriously though, over my fifteen yearphysiotherapy career I have taught hundreds (thousands?) of people how to lift and carry to avoid injury or enable it to heal, in particular those with back pain. Lifting and carrying, which includes everything from deadlifting in the gym to  carrying heavy shopping, is often the cause, or at the very least an aggravating factor, in back pain. Physiotherapy treatment therefore must include improving how the patient is lifting and carrying. So here it is…

1) bend your knees
2) bend your hips
3) keep your bottom sticking out and a curve in your lower back to maintain ‘pelvic neutral.’
4) breathe from the diaphragm
5) contract your pelvic floor

Pretty simple really, well, presuming you have the quads (front of thigh,) gluts (buttocks) and deep abdominal/pelvic floor strength to do it.  If you don’t then you need exercises to train these things. .

I will do a little video on this if anyone thinks it would be helpful? In the meantime I suggest you just watch a toddler pick up something form the floor. and just try and copy what they do!

I look forward to your opinion and comments.