Question

To protect your back when lifting, you should:

a) keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting.
b) spread your legs approximately 6 inches apart whenever you lift.
c) use the powerful muscles of your lower back to help support weight
d) maintain a slight curvature of your back whenever you lift a patient."

Answer 1

To protect your back during lifting, maintain a straight, upright back, avoid twisting, and use your legs to lift, which reduces the spinal force by about 5.6 times.

Step-by-step explanation:

To protect your back when lifting, the correct approach is to: keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting. When lifting an object, creating a smaller force in the back is crucial to prevent injury. Proper lifting techniques, which include keeping the back erect and using the strong muscles of the legs to lift, are essential. This method reduces the force exerted on the spine by approximately 5.6 times compared to lifting with the back. It is vital to recognize that the spine is relatively weak and larger forces, which can lead to muscle strain and damage to the discs and vertebrae, are produced when lifting incorrectly. Therefore, one should always strive to lift with good posture, ensuring that the body's center of gravity remains over the base of support provided by your feet.