AF needs members to get 'backs' in shape

  • Published
  • By Rod Krause
  • 5th Bomb Wing Ground Safety
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  It may be surprising to many that the cost for medical treatment for back pain is more than $80 billion a year. It affects eight out of 10 people and is the leading medical reason for missed work.

Back pain is also the leading cause of disability compensation, more than any other work-related injury. At times there can be specific injuries which cause back pain, but most of the time it develops gradually as a result of cumulative daily stress.

There are many actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of back injury. Unfortunately, most people tend to neglect or take care of their backs and only tend to it when an injury occurs.

The Air Force recognizes that programs of preventative measures can save countless lives and millions of dollars in many of its work places. Practicing preventative measures to help avoid back pain is something Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen should also keep in mind.

Backs are complex structures made of bones, muscles and ligaments. Its complexity makes it naturally prone to degeneration over time. Poor posture, faulty body mechanics, stressful living, bad working habits, loss of flexibility and strength and an overall decline in physical fitness all contribute to the degeneration of an individual's back.

One major factor contributing to the development of back pain is a person's attitude. When people feel back pain, many often fail to accept the responsibility that neglect has contributed to it.

People with back pain often believe their lifestyle has nothing to do with their back pain. When prompted by a doctor, a patient's common response goes something like this: "I've done it that way for years and my back never hurt me before."

Yet it is important to understand it may take years of accumulated stress and other factors to damage the back before it actually causes pain. Pain is the clue that bad habits need to be changed. If a conscious effort is made to take care of one's back, it decreases the chances of back pain or at least reduces the severity of it.

Preventative measures can slow down the daily wear and tear by keeping the back healthy. Some of the simplest and most effective preventative measures include improving posture, increasing flexibility, strengthening abdominal muscles, improving overall fitness, smoking less often and losing excess weight.

Improve posture and body mechanics: To improve posture, avoid slump sitting, standing stooped with rounded shoulders or positioning the body in awkward positions. Lifting should be done with legs instead of the back, and the back should be kept straight (avoid twisting and lifting).

Increase flexibility: To increase flexibility, work on the hamstrings by lying flat with back down and legs stretched out, raising one leg as high possible without bending the knee (hold for 15-30 seconds); alternating each leg along the way.

Strengthen the abdominal muscle: Mini crunches, or partial sit-ups where the back remains on the floor, are one of many effective ways one can go about in order to strengthen the abdominal muscles without putting strain on one's back. Lying on the floor with the back down and knees bent and slowly raising one shoulder off the floor ensuring the lower back always stays in contact with the floor is always helpful. Increasing the duration of time the shoulder is raised is the goal each time.

Get fit: It doesn't matter what specific activity Airmen choose, as long as it is continuous exercise for 20 to 30 minutes, four to five times a week. Choosing an activity that is enjoyable assures a greater likelihood the exercise will be regular and continuous.

Stop smoking: Recent research determined that smoking increases the chances of back pain because nicotine causes contraction of small blood vessels, thus decreasing the vital blood supply to muscles that are in constant use in the back. Smoking also slows down the healing process therefore prolonging back pain.

Lose weight: Extra body weight adds daily stress on backs and other bone joints. This added stress accumulates over time and accelerates the natural degeneration of the spine.

By making some back-healthy changes and being alert to signs of back injury, Airmen can not only reduce medical costs but also live a healthier, pain-free life.