Housework Shouldn’t be a Pain in Your Back
June 2019
Chiropractic Port St Lucie and Fort Pierce, FL.
Not many people like doing housework. For most, it’s a real pain in the aaah … what’s the word? But it’s not just the disruption it causes to your longed-for life of leisure, it really can be a pain. Literally.
The activities you carry out around the house may not seem too physically demanding, but if you don’t pay attention to how you are doing them, even washing the dishes can put a strain on your back and cause pain.
One of the chief culprits in housework is lifting. It doesn’t matter what you are picking up, if you do it incorrectly you can injure yourself. The correct approach is to bend at the knees, not from the waist. The item you’re picking up should be held close in to the body, and there should be no twisting, which can hurt the spine; if you want to turn in another direction, take a step that way once you have straightened up.
Tips to Save Your Back
Here are some tips that will help you take the strain out of your household duties:
- When washing the dishes, try opening the cabinet under the sink, bending a knee and placing a foot on the raised shelf inside. Try leaning forward against the counter to transfer some of your weight forward for a little support.
- When using a vacuum cleaner, place one foot stepped back behind the other. Move your weight from one foot to the other as you push the cleaner back and forward, and pivot on the back foot when you wish to turn.
- Even talking on the telephone can be a problem if you are prone to cradling the handset between your ear and your raised shoulder. Hold objects in our hands, use the speaker or low volume ear buds.
- Watching TV with your head resting on the arm of the sofa is not good, because the angle is too acute for your neck joints.
Pain Relief
When your back does start to hurt, use a cold pack. To avoid leaping through the ceiling, first moisten a towel with warm water before encasing the cold pack in it. That way, there will be a gradual transition from warm to cold. A bag of frozen peas is a good alternative, and easily molds to your contours.
If you suffer with pain for a couple of days without relief, or you feel weakness, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, a visit to your doctor of chiropractic is in order.
Dr. Susan Sanders, D.C. of St. Lucie Chiropractic has been serving families for 20 years and adjusting patients on the Treasure Coast for the last 10 years providing family chiropractic care and personal injury treatments. The office is 1,400 square feet of Chiropractic and Rehabilitative therapies. We provide many types of adjusting techniques, by hand or with the use of adjusting tools to suit every one’s individual needs. We are in network with many insurance plans and also provide cash services as well as family and business contracts for those looking for group coverage. We look forward to serving you.
Dr. Sue
