Spring Break for some is their first round of golf or a trip to the beach. For others Spring Break is a chance to start on yardwork. Travel and yardwork can both take a toll on your body. How can you get through your Spring Break without getting broken? Well if you prepare yourself and be mindful of your body mechanics, you can decrease your risk factors.
Driving Risk Factors
1. Driving puts 300 lbs. per square inch of pressure on the disks in your lower spine. Hour after hour that you are behind the wheel adds to the build up of pressure that can cause bulging disks that make you stiff and ache. Make sure you take breaks to get out and stretch every few hours, regardless of whether you need gas or require a rest room break. By alleviating the build up of disk pressure, you may avoid a backache that plagues you the rest of your Spring Break.
2. Support your lower back when you drive. Use a lumbar cushion positioned so that it fills the gap between your backside and middle spine. Otherwise your lower spine will tend to slump foward and your body weight will put more pressure on your disks. Vehicles equipped with built-in lumbar supports may be adequate, if they inflate enough to do the job, and hit you in the precise spot.
3. Adjust your seat so your knees are slightly higher than your hips. This allows the weight of your upper body to be better absorbed by the back of the seat, rather than landing directly on your lower spine. Changing the angle of your seat back may be necessary on a long trip. Wait until your vehicle is stopped before re-adjusting your driver's seat.
Yard Work Risk Factors
1. Our spine works best and feels best when it is working in a balanced and aligned position. Reality is that the nature of yardwork is such that it frequently dictates us to be unbalanced and misaligned. That being said, one of the biggest risk factors for back pain is home ownership.
2. Warm-Up first. Think of yardwork as a sport. Most of us do some type of stretching or warm-up routine prior to playing a game of tennis or softball. Do the same thing before you do your yardwork. Here are a few stretches that will help.
Arms Over Head: Stand up and reach both arms over your head with your fingertips extended. Reach higher with your right hand, then your left hand. Alternate reaches until you have stretched 10x on each side.
Bend Over Stretch: Stand with your feet further apart than your shoulder width; your knees slightly bent. Bend over at the waist with your arms and head relaxed. Let your upper body gently stretch your lower back. Hold for a count of 10, and slowly come up. Repeat 3x.
Quadriceps Stretch: Stand with your weight on your right foot, bend your left knee and grab the back of your left ankle with you left hand. Bring your left ankle behind you, so that you are pulling it close to your buttocks. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat on the other side.
3. Remember to bend at your knees, not your waist, as much as possible. Kneeling and squatting are better on your back than leaning forward and bending at the waist. Keep your nose and your toes in the same alignment as you work, as to avoid twisting motions.
Should you end up with a backache, remember our motto: When in doubt, chill it out!
Use ice, rather that heat on a new injury or painful episode. See your chiropractor, if pain persists.
Happy Spring Break!
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Our chiropractic intern, Barney Roca and I spent the day on Sunday providing check-ups and muscle work for participants of the Roswell Bicycle Festival, along with their family members and festival goers. Sunday was a gorgeous day after the torrential downpour on Saturday.
