Lifting, pulling, pushing, and twisting while working with heavy, bulky, or unwieldy items can strain your back and shoulders muscles. The human back, particularly the lower back, is not designed to move heavy objects. If you bend from the waist or hips and lean forward to pick up a box or even a piece of paper from the floor, you are risking damage to the muscles along the spinal column, which can cause a great deal of pain and can last a lifetime.
Some of the typical injuries related to the back include torn muscles, herniated discs, and nerve damage. Relying on the back muscles to lift items is often likely to cause injuries on Moving Day. Professional movers are trained in the appropriate way to lift items to avoid injury. These techniques are not magic but may help you to avoid a painful injury.
Back Injuries on Moving Day
When Safeway Moving company bulky items with significant weight, it is best to think about balance before proceeding. A piece of furniture is not always perfectly balanced. More than likely, the weight of the item is unevenly distributed, which means a risk of back injury, especially if it is necessary to twist the item while lifting.
Some of the prevention tips include:
- Know your limits
- lift with the leg muscles
- Use team lift techniques
- Use lifting assistance devices such as carts or hand trucks
The adult human body has 206 bones. Bones provide the framework on which the human body is built. Some of the bones most frequently considered at risk of breaks include the ribs, arms, legs, and shoulders.
Injuries while moving can also result in smashed fingers or items dropped on the feet. The bones in each foot number 26, with 30 joints and more than one hundred ligaments, muscles and tendons. Bones are connective tissue with calcium reinforcements and specialized bone cells.
Broken bones can be very painful and often require emergency medical attention. A broken bone while preparing for a move will negatively impact your moving schedule. In some cases, a broken bone will require surgical intervention to repair, which can further interrupt your moving plans.
The nature of accidental injuries is that they are seldom able to be predicted precisely. However, some preventative measures make good sense for anyone working with the tasks associated with non-professional moving events.
A good start is to wear heavy work shoes with toe protection. Items get dropped, not infrequently, and a broken bone in the foot or toes can slow your moving schedule to a standstill. Work gloves can help to prevent some instances of smashed or pinched fingers, resulting in broken fingers. Your hands and feet are almost always important to your independence, so protecting them from injury is smart in many ways.
Moving injuries are often caused by items being left in places where they don’t belong. If you are trying to carry a heavy, bulky, or otherwise unwieldy item and there is something in the pathway, a fall can result. In trying to save an awkwardly balanced item from damage, the person lifting the item may twist their body into a shape that causes damage. Twisting injuries to the knees, elbows, or ankles can disable a person from injuries on Moving Day or even for weeks.
Broken bones are common when trying to brace for impact during a fall. You should watch out for any items on the floor which might cause you to trip or slip. The item you carry doesn’t have to be heavy, just awkward or bulky. If it interferes with your line of sight, it can cause a Moving Day disaster.
How can you avoid this type of injury while your move is ongoing? Prevention is always the best policy. Be intense about keeping walkways and pathways clear of obstacles. Avoid dropping items that may cause a fall. When an item to be moved is heavy, use mechanized devices to assist the process.
If it is too heavy for one person, call on a helper to assist with the move. Think about how an item will be moved, particularly if you are part of a team trying to maneuver a piece of furniture through a tight space. Talk to the other team members about what you intend to do and when.
When preparing for a move, you are likely to encounter several items that can be fragile or sharp. Examples are cutlery and glassware. Packing kitchen boxes requires special skills to protect those around the boxes from being cut.
If a glass breaks and is not cleaned up completely, cuts to the hands or feet can result. Correct packing methods are important to avoid getting cut while packing or unpacking a box with anything sharp. Cuts and scrapes can be particularly troublesome if there is a risk of dirt, mold or bacteria getting into an open sore.
Again, wearing protective clothing and gloves can help to prevent or reduce the severity of a scrape or cut when moving objects of any weight.
Don’t assume that items normally considered free from the risk of cuts are safe to lift. A small staple on the bottom of an upholstered chair can cause a painful injury and risk of infection.
The best advice is to wear protective clothing to prevent this type of injury. Look carefully before putting your hands in a container that may have broken glass or sharp edges.
Professional movers know that even a minor strain on a muscle or joint repeated time after time can result in painful injuries to muscles and joints. One example that comes to mind is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
While that is not the type of injury typically associated with moving, you might feel pain in the joints of the hand after a Injuries on moving day of rolling and packing glassware in bubble wrap or tissue paper. Unused muscles and joints are more likely to complain after minor exertion.
Torn muscles and similar injuries can result in the individual who leans over to tuck items in boxes placed at floor level. Lift packing boxes to waist level, and your arms and shoulders will thank you.
Take time to take a break for your efforts frequently. Go for a walk, nap, or drink coffee with a friend or loved one. You will likely come back refreshed and ready for another round of packing your fragile or sentimental items. Overexertion can happen on the physical level, but it can also be on an emotional level.
Accidents and injuries can occur more frequently when tires do not allow your body the respite it needs. Stay hydrated, particularly if the day is a warm one. Your body cannot go indefinitely on junk food and sugar-laced drinks.
Not only can relying on caffeine and sugar to get you through the move be harmful to your health in the short term, but it may also lead to episodes of exhaustion and irritability, as well as stress and diet-related diseases such as coronary issues and diabetes.
Summary
Unless you are a professional mover, it is unlikely that you will have received the training to teach you how to lift heavy items safely. However, some moving hacks use to avoid injuries to yourself or those working around you. Be aware of the placement of items that you are handling and those which are nearby and might constitute a risk of falling or causing a fall.
Know your limitations, and don’t try to do everything simultaneously. Take time to pamper yourself when possible. Tired people make mistakes that would not happen under normal or rested circumstances. Wear protective gear as the situation demands. Call friends or family members to help, particularly if heavy or bulky items are in question. Plan your heaviest moving tasks when you are most rested and alert.
