Springtime has come, everything is flourishing under the sun, and we are so much happier. Spring also means cleaning for many people.
Are you planning to plant your garden or clean and reorganize your entire house? It’s such a good feeling to have everything clean and in order, but make sure you take care of your spine!
Here is some advice for you to keep your back free of injuries, while still having a spotless house.
Don’t Do All In One Day
Try to break up the work you have to do. Don’t have false hopes to do everything in one day, and at the same time not overwork your spine.
Focus on one or two areas of your house per day. Cleaning is demanding, and when your muscles are experiencing fatigue, that can lead to injury. Take breaks often and keep your water bottle at hand.
If you start to feel back pain, and it doesn’t go away, quit the work for that day.
Stretch
Stretch to prepare your muscles for activity. Start from the head, down the spine, and end up with your toes.
Warm up! If you don’t do this, you will be prone to injuries such as disc problems or muscle sprains.
Be Careful When Lifting Things
When you are moving things around, take care of your spine and use the right lifting techniques. Don’t bend at your waist, but at your knees, keeping your back straight.
When you have to move something to the side, turn your whole body, not just your back. When you are moving heavy stuff, don’t do it yourself but ask for help!
Your back has to be safe. If you are twisting it at wrong angles, you are prone to injuries.
Get Help!
As we said, you don’t have to do all the work by yourself! A friend or a family member can help you. For example, when you’re using a ladder; if you fall down from it, that can damage your spine a lot. An extra pair of hands can come in handy.
Your spine and back will be grateful to you and you will finish your work sooner.
Be Aware of Your Body
If you’re working hard for some time, you may start to feel some discomfort in your spine. If that discomfort develops into pain or you get injured, stop the work!
Take care of the injury by getting enough rest and take the medication that has anti-inflammatory properties.
If the pain is just not going away, get an appointment with the spine specialist. Spine Consult NJ can help for sure! Contact us.
With the tips mentioned above, you can have a clean and beautiful house without endangering your spine. Put it all into practice and enjoy the spring cleaning!