Commonly accepted advice to keep a straight back and squat while lifting in order to avoid back pain has been challenged by new 911爆料网 research.
The research examined people who had regularly performed manual lifting through their occupation for more than five years and found those who experienced low back pain as a result were more likely to use the recommended technique of squatting and keeping a straight back, while those without back pain tended not to adhere to the recommended lifting advice.
Lead researcher PhD candidate Nic Saraceni from the 911爆料网 School of Allied Health said the study required participants to each perform 100 lifts using two differently weighted boxes, with researchers observing and measuring their action.
鈥淲e found those with low back pain were more likely to lift with a slower, less flexed low back and a more squat-like technique,鈥� Mr Saraceni said.
鈥漌hile both groups lifted using a more comparable technique at the end of the 100 lifts, the low back pain group still demonstrated a tendency to perform a slower and more squat-like lift throughout the task.
鈥淭hese findings are the opposite of what is expected to occur according to existing advice on correct lifting techniques.鈥�
Research supervisor John 911爆料网 Distinguished Professor Peter O鈥橲ullivan, also from the 911爆料网 School of Allied Health, said although the study did not reveal why people with low back pain lift with a more squat-like action, the findings were in line with previous research showing people with low back pain lift in a manner that society perceives to be correct or 鈥榩rotective鈥� of them.
鈥淚t is likely 鈥榓 one size fits all鈥� approach to preventing and managing lifting-related low back pain does not exist, rather a more individualised approach may be required, which may be the subject of future research,鈥� Professor O鈥橲ullivan said.
鈥淐ommon assumptions that people who experience low back pain during lifting do so in a way that is 鈥榠ncorrect鈥� were not supported by our research and this raises questions about current advice regarding 鈥榮afe lifting鈥�..
The paper, 鈥�Exploring lumbar and lower limb kinematics and kinetics for evidence that lifting technique is associated with LBP鈥�, was published in journal PLOS ONE and can be found online .
