What are body mechanics?
Body mechanics refers to the way we move during every day activities. Good body mechanics may be able to prevent or correct problems with posture (the way you stand, sit, or lie.) Good body mechanics may also protect your body, especially your back, from pain and injury. Using good body mechanics is important for everyone.
Why do I need to have good body mechanics?
Having your body in the right position helps protect your back and allows you to use your body in a safe way. Your spine goes through the midline of your back, giving your back stability and controlling it’s movement. Your spine is made up of:
- Thirty-three bones called vertebrae. These bones are stacked on top of each other in a line. The line goes from the base of your skull to your rear-end.
- Shock absorbers called disks. Disks lie between the vertebrae, and cushion and protect the vertebrae. They also allow some movement of the spine.
- Spinal cord and nerves. The spinal cord sends messages from your brain to your body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae, and is surrounded by spinal fluid.
- Small joints. Joints allow movement and help to stabilize your body.
- Muscles and ligaments. Ligaments support and strengthen joints. Muscles and ligaments provide strength and power, support and stability.
- Injury to the spine may cause problems such as a loss of feeling, movement, and strength. There may also be problems with the organs in your body, and a loss of normal body functions. These functions may include going to the bathroom, swallowing, or breathing. Good body mechanics are important because they will help protect your spine and other parts of your body from injury.
- When caring for a person who is recovering from an illness, it is important to use good body mechanics. You may need this when helping a person get in and out of bed, into a chair, walk or just move around the house. You may also need to push a person in a wheel chair or move the person in bed.
Practicing good body mechanics
When standing, wear shoes. They protect your feet from injury, give you a firm foundation and keep you from slipping. Keep your feet flat on the floor separated about 12 inches. Keep your back straight.
When walking, keep your back straight as you walk. If helping a person to walk, you may need one arm around the back of the person. Put the other arm at the side to be ready to help the person if needed.
When lifting an object, your feet should be apart, in a standing position. Keep your back straight. Lower your body to get close to the object. Bend from your hips and knees. DO NOT bend at the waist. When turning, rotate your whole body, not just your back. Hold the object by putting your hands around it. Keeping your knees bent and your back straight, lift the object using your arm and leg muscles. Do not use your back muscles. If the object is too heavy, ask another person to help you. Many devices are available to help move or lift heavy objects. If you need help from a device, ask caregivers how to get one.
When carrying an object, hold the object close to your body. DO NOT carry things that are too heavy for you. Always ask for help to move heavy objects. There are many devices available to help carry heavy objects. If you need help from a device, ask caregivers how to get one.
Pushing or pulling, use the weight of your body to help push or pull an object. Your feet should be apart as in the standing position. Keep your back straight. Lower your body to get close to the object. Bend from your hips and knees. DO NOT bend at the waist. If the object or person you are pulling or pushing is too heavy, ask someone to help you. There are many devices available to help you move, push or pull heavy objects.
Sitting, if you can, sit on a hard chair with a straight back. Put a pillow or rolled towel to support your lower back. When you sit for a long time, raise one leg higher than the other to help keep from getting tired. This can be done by putting the leg on a footstool. If doing something, such as reading or knitting, put a pillow on your lap to raise the items closer to you. This will help keep your back straight. When you are driving, adjust the seat to a comfortable distance to the wheel. Sit back in the seat so your knees are even with the seat.
Sitting at a desk, sit in your chair with your back straight and with support in your lower back. Do not sit for long periods of time. Get up and change positions. Adjust the monitor of your computer so that the top is at the same level as your eyes. Use a paper holder so that the document is at the same level as the computer screen. Use a headset or the phone speaker if you use the telephone often.
To position a person on his side in bed, ask or help the person to bend their knees. Put a soft pillow between the knees.
To position a person on his back with the bed flat, put a pillow under the person’s head. A rolled towel may be used to support the lower back. A small pillow can be put under the calves and ankles to raise the heels off the bed. A padded footboard may be attached to the bed to keep the feet straight.
To position a person on his back with the head of the bed raised, put one or more pillows behind the head and shoulders. A pillow may be put under the knees to bend them a little. You may add a footboard to keep the feet in place.
Good Body Mechanics & Employee Safety: A Skills Update
Ergonomics is the study of body mechanics. It studies the physiologic limitations of body movement and what factors contribute to musculoskeletal disorders. It evaluates what factors contribute to repetitive stress injuries, and what changes can be made in the workplace to protect employees from developing such work-related injuries. Charles Jeffress, who heads the federal agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stated that, “Science is clear that the more you repeat a motion, the more likely you are to get hurt – though the number of repetitions for each person may be different. ”
Healthy Lifestyle Habits That Help Prevent Injury
- Use your mind and body together to make the most of what you’ve got.
- Engage in regular exercise that maintains strength and flexibility. Staying in shape requires aerobic exercise to get all your muscles working together, improves your blood flow, speeds up your metabolism to burn up more calories, and boosts your energy. The exercise should last a minimum of 20-30 minutes at least 3 times per week. Employees work hard, but they don’t necessarily get the proper kind of exercise.
Principles for Reducing the Risk of Work-Related Injuries
- Keep your work close to your body. This is the most basic principle of good body mechanics. Try holding something heavy out in front of you. How does it feel?
- Maintain your whole body in good alignment. Transferring residents from bed to chair or vice versa can be the most dangerous activity because there is a tendency to bend at the waist and twist at the same time.
- An employee who has to engage in repetitive movements over time is particularly at risk for work-related injury. If a person must do this, it is recommended that he relaxes and exercises those body parts that are held in a constant position for 5 minutes every hour.
- Back support belts, generally speaking, do not prevent injury. They tend to give a person a false sense of security, perhaps thinking that one can lift or carry something that is heavier than should be carried.
The key principle is to use good body mechanics. This includes:
- Bend at the knees instead of the waist. The thigh muscles are larger in mass than either the buttocks or back muscles.
- Get close to the object to be lifted.
- Keep your back straight.
- Position feet to provide a good base of support.
- Hold objects close to your body when lifting and carrying.
- Keep body in straight alignment. – Don’t twist at the waist.
- Push, pull or slide rather than lift whenever possible. Pushing is better than pulling because you are using your whole body weight rather than just 1 or 2 muscle groups.
- Back support belts may be worn but should only be secured around your waist when lifting or transferring. Otherwise they can be left hanging loosely by suspender straps from your shoulders. When worn secured they tend to weaken back and abdominal muscles over time, putting a person at greater risk for injury.
Maintain healthy lifestyle habits
- Get proper rest.
- Eat a well-balanced diet: low in fat and sweets, and high in fruits, grains, and vegetables. (It is hard when you are busy and tired to plan ahead and resist fast food.)
- Exercise regularly (at least 20-30 minutes 3 times a week).
- Smoking – What can one say? There is nothing good to say about it.
- Alcohol or drugs – Put a person at greater risk for injuries of all kinds.
- Know your body and how it works. Each body is unique and you know better than anyone what works best for you. Practice healthy life-style behaviors to prevent work-related injury and promote optimal health and well-being.
It is far easier to prevent injuries than it is to fix them after they occur. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe, “work-friendly” environment. It is the responsibility of employees to use good body mechanics and maintain healthy life-style habits to help prevent injury. Remember – it is much better to prevent injury than to try to repair what has been injured.