OH MY ACHING BACK!
By "DocNurse" Norma Stephens Hannigan
It’s no secret that truck drivers suffer more than the average bear from lower back pain. Sitting all day, bouncing around on roads that aren’t always so smooth, constant vibration from the truck’s movement and the strain of loading and unloading, all contribute to back pain. It’s also no secret that truckers, in general, tend to be more obese than the rest of the folks out there – another major factor in back pain.
So, what can you do about it? Quit your job? Well, that may be tempting, but not very practical. However, there are some things you can do to help yourself. Weight loss is a great place to start because a big belly pulls the spinal column out of alignment and puts strain on back muscles. But even thin people can suffer from back pain because they don’t move their bodies in the way that best prevents pain. Proper body mechanics, or the way in which you move your body to do things like lifting and sitting, can help prevent back injury and pain. If you already have back pain, here are some exercises and other things to give you some relief. Here are also some helpful tips to prevent you from developing back pain altogether.
When lifting heavy objects, like you have always been told before, bend your knees and lift with your legs – don’t bend at the waist and then lift the heavy item with just your back (that is the worst thing you can do). Keep the heavy object, say a box, close to your body and use the big muscles in your thighs to do most of the lifting. Also, turn your whole body to move things rather than twisting at just the waist.
There are also simple adjustments you can do to make driving your truck less painful on your back. When adjusting your seat, you should be close to the steering wheel and your knees should be bent when your feet are on the pedals. Avoid having to reach or bend too far forward to hold the steering wheel. Your knees should be at the same level or higher than your hips. A lumbar cushion or a rolled up towel behind the curve of your back helps reduce the strain on your muscles. When getting in and out of the truck, swing your legs around, keeping your spine straight, and then get down. Twisting at the waist, just like with lifting, puts too much stress on the spine and muscles and can cause back pain.
Most of the time, back injuries are the result of overusing or straining the muscles. Most injuries will feel better with rest – not lying-in-bed rest, necessarily, because that can make you feel even worse – but just taking it a little easier, not doing activities that stress your back or make it hurt more. Taking over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen and applying cold can help you through the worst of it. If you don’t start getting better in a week or so, see your health care provider to make sure that your pain is not something more serious than strained muscles or inflamed nerves. Danger signs of back pain are numbness or inability to move your legs, or loss of control of your bladder and bowels – if this is happening to you, get to an emergency room.
Once it is established that you do not have something serious that exercise could worsen, you might try some light exercises and stretching. They should always be done very gently – no rapid, jerky movements. If they are hurting you more, stop doing them. However, most people will feel better with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Very gently, while lying on your back and using your arms and hands to support your legs either behind your thighs or around your knees, bend your knees and bring them toward your chest. Hold them for 15 seconds (or as long as you can) before straightening your legs (see photo). Repeat 10 times. You may want to alternate, doing only one side at a time. There are a bevy of websites that offer other good recommendations – do a search on “back stretching exercises” and you will find several other exercise options.
Prolonged sitting (like while driving) may also cause or increase your back pain. As often as possible, it’s a smart idea to get down from that cab and walk around a little – in fact, walking around your average 18-wheeler about 33 times makes a mile! That may sound a little whacky, but it gets your blood moving, warms up your muscles so they are less likely to be sore, and it burns a few calories!
If your pain is getting worse despite rest, cold application, medicine and gentle exercises, it might be time for physical therapy – you will decide that with your health care provider. Massage is often one of the treatments and/or electrical stimulation – very slight zaps of electricity to stimulate the healing of the muscles. And, of course, more exercises and stretching!
So, the next time you are feeling those twinges, remember that you are not alone. Most of us at one time or another in our lives have suffered from some minor (or major) back pain. Nothing helps you to respect your back quicker than “throwing it out” for the first time. Once you realize just how connected your back muscles are to everything you do, you will be more aware and more careful (sneezing is not fun when your back is out). The goal, though, is to avoid back pain altogether or to keep your existing pain from becoming worse. That way, you can keep on truckin’!
~ Dr. Norma Stephens Hannigan, who recently graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, teaches at Columbia University in New York and has treated many truck drivers at the various clinics she has worked over the years. She currently writes from her home in Newburgh, New York.