Most back injuries from lifting don’t happen while someone is heaving something enormous. They happen picking up a toddler while twisting toward the car, or grabbing “just one more” box at the end of a long shift when you’re tired and rushing.
The lifting advice you’ve heard — and what’s actually true
You’ve been told a hundred times to “lift with your legs, not your back.” It’s not wrong, but it’s incomplete, and taken too literally it’s led a lot of people to believe their spine is fragile and that any bending is dangerous.
Here’s a more accurate picture. Your back is strong and built to move. The things that most reliably lead to injury are:
- Twisting while loaded. This is the big one. Bending and lifting is normal. Bending, lifting, and rotating — turning to put a box on a bench, swivelling a child into a car seat — puts the spine in its most vulnerable position. Move your feet instead of twisting your torso.
- Distance from your body. A load held at arm’s length places far more demand on your back than the same load held close to your chest. Get it in tight before you lift.
- Fatigue and rushing. The last lift of the day, done quickly, is the classic injury. Technique degrades exactly when you stop paying attention.
- Unexpected loads. A box that’s much heavier — or much lighter — than you braced for.
- Sustained awkward positions, like stooping over a bench or garden bed for an hour, which loads the back without any single dramatic “lift” at all.
The practical version
Before you lift: size it up, clear your path, and decide whether you actually need help or a trolley. Ego is a genuine risk factor.
As you lift: feet apart for a stable base. Get close to the load. Bend at the hips and knees, keep the load tight to your body, and drive up with your legs. Keep your head and chest up.
Turning: move your feet. Do not twist under load.
Setting down: the same rules apply in reverse — most people concentrate hard on the lift and then dump the load carelessly.
For parents specifically:
- Car seats are the worst offender — you’re leaning into a confined space, at arm’s length, twisting, with a wriggling load. Get as close as you can, brace a knee on the seat if possible, and take your time.
- Lifting a toddler off the floor: squat down to them rather than bending over and hoisting.
- Carrying on one hip all day loads your pelvis and lower back asymmetrically. Swap sides.
- Prams, shopping, nappy bags and a child — the cumulative load is the issue, not any single lift.
For workers: if your workplace has manual handling procedures and mechanical aids, use them. Under Queensland WHS law your employer has duties around manual handling risks, and if you’re injured at work, report it — it matters for both your recovery and any workers’ compensation claim.
How ABC™ care at BPPC fits in
Lifting injuries are squarely musculoskeletal — the joints, muscles and soft tissues of the back and pelvis — which is the core of what we do.
Our approach centres on Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC™), a structural technique concerned with how the spine carries and balances load, and how it compensates when something isn’t handling that load well. This is a useful lens for lifting, because a lift is simply a load applied fast. Depending on your assessment, care may aim to:
- address restricted movement and mechanical strain through the spine and pelvis
- improve how your body handles and distributes load
- support your return to work and normal activity
- give you practical guidance for the lifting your job or your kids actually require
We’ll assess you properly, flag anything that needs referral, and be honest about whether our care suits your situation. Recovery timelines and responses vary between individuals.
Book an assessment in Carindale
If you’ve hurt your back lifting — at work or at home — get it assessed rather than hoping it settles. We’ll tell you what’s going on and what the sensible next step is.
Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic is based in Carindale, serving the southside including Carina, Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Mount Gravatt, Belmont, Wishart, Mansfield, and Cannon Hill.
Book hereor call the clinic.