The Best Way to Avoid Back Pain? Lift Heavy Things

Real Clear Science reports:

Most people think that the human spine is one of evolution’s great flaws. After all, around 80% of adults suffer from lower-back pain. What more evidence do you need? The truth is, the spine is a robust structure. We’re just using it incorrectly.

Everybody “knows” that you put your back out if you lift objects that are too heavy. As a result, many workplaces have introduced lifting training and ergonomic equipment, such as hoists, in an effort to reduce back injuries.

The common advice from lifting training is to avoid heavy lifting where possible. However, research has shown that such training is largely ineffective at reducing back pain and back injury. It seems that a different approach is needed.

Human tissue needs to be exposed to loads to become strong – and the spine is a good example of this. Regular loading prepares the joints, muscle and ligaments for normal tasks. Nobody would expect to run a marathon without preparing the body for such loading, so it seems logical that to be able to lift a weight requires exposure to that activity.

An article worth your time..