One of the primary reasons people hurt their backs is because of poor lifting techniques – not necessarily the weight of the item. I cannot stress enough the number of patients who have come in to be treated by me, because of a lifting injury to their back. When questioned about the mechanism of the injury, they told me it was a light item (like a pencil or clipboard) that they just bent over to pick up. On further questioning, they told me that they bent over at the waist and that they were invariably twisted slightly or even a lot. For reference, the only worse position to be in when lifting something is, to lean back and twist while reaching for an item!
There are three simple rules to remember when lifting anything:
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1. Face the thing you are picking up
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2. Bend at the knees to pick things up.
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3. Keep things close to your body, near your center of gravity.
If you have a lot of things to carry (groceries, plants, books, etc.) don’t try to carry all of them at once. It is better to make more trips with less weight and less items to manage than it is to try and save yourself a few extra steps.
If you do a lot of lifting on a daily basis, you can wear a back brace, but understand that the brace is not there to help you lift heavier items. Rather when worn correctly with the double pulls used, it helps keep you from twisting and making stupid moves.