Lifting technique

Lifting technique is one of the first things taught in workplace safety training and physical therapy clinics. For a long time, the instruction has been to “bend your knees into a squat, keep your back straight, and stand up using your legs.” This became widespread because it fits the intuitive idea that bending your back would strain your spine.

Biomechanical studies have compared squat lifting (lifting with the knees bent) and stoop lifting (lifting with the back bent). Studies have repeatedly found no clear difference in the compressive forces on the spine between the two methods, while some reports have found slightly lower forward-bending and shear forces on the spine with squat lifting. One study in 2021 even found lower loads on the lower back in some cases with stoop lifting. This means that the most comfortable method varies with the weight and shape of the object, your body build, and the number of repetitions. Rather than forcing yourself to stick to one posture, it is therefore better to choose a method that suits your body and the object you are lifting.

Regardless of the method, research and practice are relatively consistent about the same basics.

• Keep the object close to your body. Lifting from a distance with your arms outstretched places large forces on your lower back through leverage. Step closer and try lifting with the object held close to the front of your body.
• Stand securely with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Placing one foot slightly forward can improve your balance.
• Do not twist your trunk. When changing direction while carrying something, move your feet to turn your whole body rather than twisting your lower back.
• Lift slowly and smoothly. A sudden yank can make your muscles tense abruptly.
• Gently engage your abdomen without holding your breath. This gives your trunk firm support and makes exertion easier. Core stability helps here.
• If it is heavy, split the load or get help. Making two trips or using a cart is the easiest approach.

“I felt a sharp twinge in my lower back while lifting something heavy” is the most commonly reported situation with this topic. People often feel stiffness and a sharp twinge during or just after the lift, which gradually eases over several days.

A concept often mentioned here is a load you were not prepared for. If you suddenly lift something heavy in a way you are not used to, or exert yourself when the object is heavier than expected and your posture has shifted out of position, the muscles around your lower back can tense abruptly. This sharp twinge is sometimes explained in relation to a temporary reaction in the muscles and ligaments, as in lumbar sprain and strain. The mismatch between the expected and actual load can sometimes be a bigger factor than the weight itself.

After a sharp twinge, try the following.

• For a day or two, try walking and moving as usual within a range that does not worsen the pain. Moving a little at a time is more likely to help your back loosen up than lying down all day.
• Relaxing the muscles with a warm compress or shower can make you feel more comfortable.
• If bending your lower back or getting up from sitting brings on pain, take a break from that movement for a while.

The severity of symptoms is not necessarily proportional to the weight lifted or the posture used. Fatigue, sleep, and your emotional state that day also play a role, so it is difficult to identify a single cause by looking back at your posture at the moment of the twinge.

Recent approaches in rehabilitation do not view the lower back simply as “a weak structure that is easily damaged by bending.” Just as muscles get stronger with exercise, the spine is viewed as adapting and becoming stronger as it gradually gets used to loading. Practicing lifting regularly, starting with light weights and increasing slowly, can therefore help. If you have had lower back pain or have difficulty tolerating loads, it is better to increase the weight more slowly.

• Pain or numbness and tingling radiating down one leg persist after lifting an object
• Your leg becomes weak or sensation becomes reduced
• Pain continues to worsen even after several days

If you have these signs, it is worth checking whether there is another underlying issue, such as lumbar disc herniation.