Everyday life holds all sorts of hazards for your back. Some dangers are more obvious than others. Work related injuries, for example, are a common cause of back pain. But even in your apparently secure home you constantly perform countless simple and mundane tasks that can damage your back.
Bending, lifting and carrying correctly are an essential part of looking after your back. This means minimizing the strain on your spine by keeping your back as well aligned as possible. The bones and the discs of the spine can support your body weight and absorb stress very efficiently as long as the natural S-shape is maintained.
When you move away from the vertical and begin to bend, your center of gravity shifts forward. This increases pressure on the discs of the spine and means that your back muscles have to work hard to prevent you failing over. As a result, bending forward for any length of time in order to carry out household chores, duties at work or to grasp and lift heavy objects puts you at risk from pain.
Housework and back pain
Many of the routine tasks in and around the home are potentially stressful for your back. But with care and planning, you can adapt your environment to protect yourself. The list below gives some examples of common household chores and advice to help make them less likely to cause back injury.
