What's Really Making Your Back Hurt
We debunk the top myths so you can feel better fast.
by Maura Kelly
This morning, you probably didn't think twice about slinging a work tote over your shoulder or picking your sneakers up off the floor. But there may come a time when one of those simple motions will trigger a backache bad enough to cause you to call in sick, see a doctor, or at the very least, take a few painkillers. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, four out of five women will develop a back injury at some point in their lives. But with a few simple changes, you can prevent yourself from becoming a statistic. The trick, says Douglas Chang, M.D., chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, is separating the misconceptions from the facts. "A lot of the advice that's floating around out there is unhelpful, or in some cases even harmful," he says. We asked Chang and other experts to set the record straight on how to best prevent and heal aches and pains.
MYTH #1
Lifting heavy objects will strain your back
Most injuries are caused not by what
you pick up, but how you do it. The
proper form: Squat, keeping your back
straight. Grab the object, bring it close
to your body, then stand; your thigh
and butt muscles should do the lifting.
Just grabbing a pen off the floor? It's still important to be careful, because simply twisting the wrong way can harm your back. "One of the worst moves is bending over to the side while staying seated with your feet planted on the floor," says Rahul Shah, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon in Winter Park, Florida. "Twisting your back in two directions at once may strain the disks that cushion your spinal vertebrae." This repetitive trauma builds up over the years and can weaken your spine. "If your back is already vulnerable," says Shah, "the wrong movement could easily trigger an injury."
