Each job comes with its own set of occupational hazards for the spine

Which means that it is important to identify those risks that are particular to your job. And while it may seem apparent that construction workers face a higher incidence rate of injury to their back, you may be surprised to find that nurses suffer more pain as a result of their job. What is responsible for this? It turns out that the lifting involved in nursing is a critical factor in creating back pain. Helping patients move from lying to sitting, boosting them from gurney to examination table and preventing patients from falling are all movements that can damage ligaments and create dysfunction in the spinal motion segments. Here are our tips for preventing back pain as a nurse.

Preventing back pain: the nurse edition

We want to focus on:

• Proper lifting mechanics: while humans are an altogether awkward object to move, try to lift with your legs and not your back whenever possible. This sets the tone for…
• Proper body mechanics: always be aware of your movement, posture and the time you are spending on your feet. Which leads us to…
• Proper footwear: supportive footwear with insoles matched to your particular feet can save your intervertebral discs a lot of degradation. 
• Seek employment at places that utilize the latest technology: while not a possibility for everyone, hospitals that use motorized ceiling lifts for example are going to save their nurses a lot of back pain.
• Change departments: if your particular specialization is causing you a lot of pain, see if it is possible to change to a less physically stressful one. 

We offer the chiropractic care that nurses need to keep on their feet.

At Holmes Chiropractic, we know that nurses are community heroes. This makes it all the more important that we prevent their jobs from taking a toll on their spines. If you are a nurse in the Houston area looking for relief from the back pain inherent in your job, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.