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Spring
Cleaning Can Mess Up Your Body
(HealthScout)
-- In their ardent efforts to perform the ultimate "spring cleaning"
around the home, many people wind up in pretty bad shape. They
pull muscles, twist tendons and otherwise abuse parts of the body
that are often conditioned to accommodate little more than sitting
on the couch.
To emphasize
precautions to take when embarking on springtime home cleaning,
gardening and improvement projects, the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons (AAOS) is sponsoring its first annual "Prevent Injuries
America!" month.
Besides causing
run-of-the-mill soreness and aches, activities like digging in
the garden, raking the lawn, climbing ladders and hauling away
debris pose the threat of more serious injury to the out-of-shape
body.
That's why
it's important for you to be in shape for the chore attempted,
and to understand what your body can and can't do, even
when you're in shape.
"It's really
important that people know proper body mechanics in terms of how
they lift things and twist and turn," says Dr. Joel Press, a specialist
in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago.
"It's the
same thing when you're not used to doing heavier type of work
for your back or certain twisting or turning activities, such
as crouching over the garden. When the seasons change, a lot of
people will go out and spend as much as six hours in the garden,
and then they can't figure out why they're sore the next day."
"Well, their
body hasn't been doing anything like that. So it's like anything
else, it's too much too fast. It's putting an abnormal load on
a normal structure."
Those who
spend much of winter indoors are more susceptible to spring aches
and pains, says Dr. Volker K.H. Sonntag, president of the North
American Spine Society and a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological
Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix, Ariz.
"There are
especially problems in cooler areas. When people start getting
out more and moving around as the weather turns, that's when you
see the problems."
The AAOS offers
the following tips when planning spring-cleaning projects:
- Plan ahead,
and give yourself enough time to finish the task you've set
for yourself. Don't be in a hurry;
- Bend at
the knees when lifting, and lift with your leg muscles -- not
your back -- as you stand;
- Don't lift
an object by yourself that's too heavy;
- When lifting
objects onto a shelf that is chest high, move close to the shelf
and place your feet apart with one foot forward. Then lift the
object chest high, keep your elbows at your side and position
your hands so you can push the object onto the shelf.
If your plans
involve the use of a ladder, the AAOS offers the following suggestions:
- Select
the right ladder for the job;
- Inspect
the ladder for loose screws, hinges or rungs;
- Set up
the ladder on a firm, level surface;
- Don't over-reach;
reposition the ladder when you have to get closer to your work;
- Don't use
the ladder as a seat between tasks -- neither the ladder top
nor the pail shelf is designed to support your weight.
Visit
the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for more useful information.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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