Most hurricane related injuries happen after the storm has passed. Quite a few actually occur while people are cleaning up their back yards. There are ways to get the job done safely.
"We forget proper lifting techniques,” Dr. William Newsom from Florida Hospital Centra Care said. “It's a very common thing. So we bend with our back and not our knees. The back is very vulnerable; the lower back in particular is very vulnerable to injuries when you are lifting something upwards of 30 or 40 pounds when you bend like that."
There are ways to get the job done safely:
- Always lift with your knees, not your back.
- Make smooth, easy movements.
- Watch for uneven ground.
- Get in the most comfortable position you can.
- Stretch before and after lifting.
- Use heat to nurture an injury.
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