Our back is an important but vulnerable part of our body.

Most human activities require us to use (move) our back.

If not used in a properly way, our back can easily be injured.

Certain activities will create a higher risk for back injuries. These activities usually require the use of force exerted by a person to:

Lift or Lower	Carry	Push or Pull	Hold

These activities are commonly called "Manual Handling" activities.

To understand how our back can be injured and thus how to protect and preserve it, we need to have a basic understanding about it and how it works.

The human back is made up by 3 major systems:

• The Spine
• The Back Muscles
• The Central Nervous System (Spinal chord and nerve roots)

Common Back Injuries and Their Causes

Back Injuries:

• Slipped disc
• Sprained back muscles

Common causes for back injuries:

• Excessive bending, twisting or arching of back
• Applying jerking or sudden force on the back
• Loads too heavy
• Frequent and repetitive motions

Basic Principles:

Avoid excessive bending of back:

• Adopt proper lifting postures (straight back, back knees etc.)
• Avoid overreaching for loads

Avoid excessive twisting of back

Avoid arching of back

Avoid carrying objects that are too heavy for you

• Split the load
• Ask for help
• Use mechanical aids

Difficult situations where you need to bend.

Lifting objects with center of gravity (CG) at one side.

Handling bulky loads