Back safety class with sound 4

Your Instructor Today:

Your Instructor Today Randall Morrow, PT Degree in Anatomy & Physiology Degree in Physical Therapy Chronic Pain Management Program Ergonomics Safety Consultant Senior PT for Kaiser Permanente

Back & Neck Safety Class:

Back & Neck Safety Class “Just because your body will let you do a movement or position, doesn’t mean that you should.” Shirley Sahrmann PT, PhD

Things to “get” from this class…:

Things to “get” from this class… Get knowledge Get good habits Get moving !

Normal Anatomy of the Back:

Normal Anatomy of the Back Vertebrae (bones that support weight) Discs (cushions and pivots between vertebrae) Ligaments (hold vertebrae together, resist disc pressure) Spinal Cord and Spinal Nerves (send messages to the muscle, bone, organs & skin)

The Vertebral Column:

The Vertebral Column The spine has curves that absorb shock. 7 Neck Vertebrae 12 Chest Vertebrae (upper & mid-back) 5 Low back Vertebrae Sacrum (connects the spine to the pelvis) Cervical Curve Thoracic Curve Lumbar Curve Sacral Curve

Top View of Bone, Disc & Nerves:

Top View of Bone, Disc & Nerves The asterisks show the only pain sensitive nerve endings in the disc. They warn of pressure on the spinal cord ****** ****** Facet joints

Spinal Nerve Roots:

Spinal Nerve Roots Between the vertebrae there are openings for nerves going to the body. Shape and size of the opening changes with body movement, disc degeneration or bone structure changes Nerve roots

Body Position/Disc Pressure:

Body Position/Disc Pressure

Small loads = Big stresses:

Small loads = Big stresses Ten pounds of pressure on lower back 10 lbs Creates half a TON of stress on the disc! 1150 lbs

Seated posture & disc pressure:

Seated posture & disc pressure Super straight ‘military’ posture increases pressure Reaching with a load increases pressure A slight recline is best Leaning forward increases pressure

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve…:

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve… Level Forward Backward

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve…:

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve… Forward pelvic tilt makes the back curve in more Vertebrae surfaces form wedge that pushes dics forward, away from nerves

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve…:

Pelvic tilt changes the shape of the lumbar curve… Backward pelvic tilt flattens out the back Vertebrae surfaces form wedge that pushes discs backward, toward nerves

Posture and Pain:

Posture and Pain Postural stress is the most common cause of back and neck pain! Sitting in a poor position Bending in a poor working position Standing or lying in a poor position Heavy lifting or lifting incorrectly Once neck or back problems have developed, poor posture can keep them going or make them worse.

We pay attention to some signs!:

We pay attention to some signs ! “ Slow-Curve” “Yield” “Beware of Dog” “Do Not Enter” “Danger-Explosives”

We ignore others…:

We ignore others… FATIGUE / STIFFNESS PAIN COMES AND GOES CONTINUOUS PAIN LOSS OF FUNCTION

Slide 17:

Personal responsibility … It’s up to you! “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein

Lifting Tips:

Lifting Tips Warm-up before activity Tighten stomach muscles & maintain the normal curves of your spine Lift smoothly-head and shoulders rising first Step turn with your feet to avoid twisting Alternate tasks and alternate hands Use step stools and carts when needed Push instead of pull Squat instead of stooping Carry smaller loads Test the load with your foot before lifting

www.kp.org/fitness:

www.kp.org/fitness “If exercise could be packed into a pill it would be the single most prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation” Robert Butler MD-International Longevity Center