Are there any exercises I can do to help?

Nurses General Nursing

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Since I'm back at school this term I haven't been working much. I had a home health patient today that was a paraplegic and I am really feeling it now. I was wondering if there are exercises you can do to strengthen muscles you use when you lift your patients, move them up in bed, transfer to WC, etc. I suspect some of my back pain is also from bending over the bed since I am kind of tall, and most people don't have hospital beds in their homes that raise and lower. I have taken classes in body mechanics and try to use those techniques, but I'm still having trouble. Any advice? Thanks! Tonya

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OOPS. This is posted in the wrong forum, I was reading a post in that forum and clicked the new post button without thinking. How can I fix it? Thanks

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Tell me where you want it and I will move it for you. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

This is as good a forum for this as anywhere. We recently had a thread about this very subject, but I can't find it now.

I think overall strenght and flexibility is important for a back. Strong abs, flexible hamstrings etc. while not directly related to the back is very important in keeping your back safe.

Many people mentioned yoga as a good way to stay flexible and I couldn't agree more. There are lots of good videos tapes/dvd's you can get. I go to a yoga class twice weekly. Plus go to the gym twice a week for general strengthening of the entire body, not just the back.

Good luck.

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Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

...I think overall strenght and flexibility is important for a back. Strong abs, flexible hamstrings etc. while not directly related to the back is very important in keeping your back safe.

Many people mentioned yoga as a good way to stay flexible and I couldn't agree more. There are lots of good videos tapes/dvd's you can get. I go to a yoga class twice weekly. Plus go to the gym twice a week for general strengthening of the entire body, not just the back.

Good luck.

Well TonyafutureRN looks like you might benefit from 3rdShiftGuy's pearls of wisdom. It sounds to me like he has a pretty good grasp on back care. Bad backs are the quickest things to knock us out of a good job. Sadly enough it happens way too much. It might be worth it for you to join a gym better yet ask a physical therapist for some exercises for your back. Good luck and take care of that back.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by Speculating

Well TonyafutureRN looks like you might benefit from 3rdShiftGuy's pearls of wisdom. It sounds to me like he has a pretty good grasp on back care.

Don't know about having any "pearls of wisdom" but I have to brag that in all my years of nursing I still have a good strong back, and that includes over 3 years in neuro working with stroke patients, comatose patients, and quadraplegics.

Back care is an essential part of self-nurturing that we do little of.

Good luck.

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Thanks for writing to me guys. I have found that yoga and stretching help me feel better when my back is sore after working. I really wish I had more time to exercise during the week, but between my children, school, and homework I have no time to myself.Sometimes in the evening I do some crunches and biceps/triceps with free weights because that doesn't take much time. I really need to get up a half hour earlier and exercise but I can't seem to drag myself out of bed any earlier after studying until 10 each night. I know when I did this though, I felt a lot better throughout the day. I guess having my books open and reading them while doing yoga would kind of defeat the purpose huh? LOL:) Tonya

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