Men and Women Must Lift Weight Properly

Question: Are women more susceptible to low back pain from lifting heavy weight than men?

Answer: Women are obviously created physically different than men. Men are muscular and bone structures are thicker and denser in most cases. I know most of you women would agree, so are their brains. This may explain it.

A study printed in Spine magazine on November 15, 2002, explored the effects of spine loading as a function of gender. Two separate experiments on lifting performance were evaluated on 140 subjects. Electromyography assisted testing was utilized to determine spine loading during lifting performance.

The conclusion of the study indicated that woman are at a greater risk of muscoskeletal overload during lifting tasks. Individual body masses and pre-existing structural and functional postures play a role in how weight is distributed onto weight bearing structures of the body.

Proper preparation and intelligence prior to lifting is very prudent for either gender. Simple rules apply. Keep the weight close to your body. Keep your spine straight and lift with your legs. Intelligence will always succeed over brawn even in normal functional daily living tasks.

Quote of the week: “Duty is a matter of the mind. Commitment is

a matter of the heart.” - Anonymous