TAKING CARE OF YOUR BACK: HOUSEWORK

Posted by admin on April 1, 2009 under Healthy bones Osteoporosis Rheumatic | Be the First to Comment

With any task, in and out of the house, it is the length of time spent in any one position, as well as the effort imposed on the back, that counts. It is a good idea to change tasks (and therefore positions) fairly often. Any activity where repetitive bending is required may cause trouble, particularly if it becomes fatiguing. Instead of doing one job until the bitter end, it may be possible to alternate it with another. For example, instead of spending a whole afternoon standing up ironing, leave half of it until later on, and do something else meanwhile.

If you have had back trouble, learn to delegate some or all of the heavier jobs that were formerly your lot. Encourage family and colleagues to share the load.

Bed making is a job that often makes a painful back worse, and in some cases even induces back trouble, because it requires a good deal of bending and stretching. Ideally, the bed should be high enough for the mattress to be at hip height, narrow enough for you to reach across easily, and placed so that you can walk all round.

On the old-fashioned high bedstead, it requires less effort to make the bed than on a low divan bed. A low bed can be raised by putting blocks or bricks under the legs.

When making the bed, get close to it and bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back upright. If you have any difficulty in bending at hips and knees, kneel down when tucking in the bedclothes.

A fitted bottom sheet and a duvet do away with the need to bend to tuck in bedclothes. When changing a fitted sheet, do not stretch over the bed, but kneel close to each corner of the bed in turn.

A mattress should be turned by someone else. If you really have to do it yourself, have handles fitted to the sides (at the ends, too, if it is to be turned fore and aft). Grasp the handles and lift the side of the mattress so that you stand erect; back away a step and then step up on to the base and raise the mattress high enough to turn it over by letting it fall over to the other side. But better to leave it to other members of the household to do the turning.

Cleaning the bath puts considerable strain on the back. This job can be done much more easily by kneeling beside the bath and leaning across to rest one hand on the far edge of the bath to take your body weight, or by sitting on a chair alongside. Along-handled sponge or mop is useful. A bath is cleaned more easily when still warm immediately after use, so keep cleaning materials at hand – and insist that the others in the household clean the bath themselves.

You can avoid cleaning the bath altogether. Various preparations are available (especially for bathing children) which replace soap, and leave no ring round the bath. Or, if you prefer to wash with soap, putting a squirt of washing-up liquid in the bath water will ensure that there will be no ring.

Using a vacuum cleaner is often stressful to the back, so do it in short sessions. Make sure that the handle is long enough for you. Some cylinder cleaners have extension pieces; fitting one of these may help. Use your legs and your body weight to do the work. Always pull forwards and backwards in short lengths. Avoid twisting movements. Above all, do not just stand and make your arms do the work: that way is bound to stress your back.

Similarly, when using a mop, carpet sweeper or broom, move the whole body forwards and backwards with the sweeping action, not just bending from the waist to get the increased reach.

Dusting gives you opportunities for different kinds of muscle action. It is a good idea to slot short spells of it into spells of vacuuming, polishing, washing floors or any other task which requires vigorous movement in one direction only, for which you generally use your stronger arm. Try using the other arm or use both arms and stretch upwards to counteract the bending and pushing movements of vacuuming.

In the kitchen, have at hand all the things you use regularly – for instance, saucepans on the wall, plates and dishes at waist height. Only the things you use least often, or which are fairly light, should be stowed away below thigh height in low cupboards or out of easy reach above chest height. Ideally, heavy equipment such as a food mixer or cast iron casserole should be kept where it need not be lifted to be got out.

Whenever you have to do anything near floor level, get right down to it. Bend your knees to lift dishes in and out of the oven or dishwasher. When lifting a heavy casserole, hold it close to your body, with your elbows bent. To save your back, do it in stages: put a stool at the side of the oven, squat down, put the casserole on the stool, stand up and lift the casserole on to the top of the stove or working surface. Remember avoid twisting – rotate the whole body when moving objects from one table to the next.

Having a tall stool in the kitchen is a good idea so that you can alternate between sitting and standing. A stool should have a foot-rail and needs to be of a height to suit the height of the work surface.

*93\111\2*