Tips for Not Letting Fatigue Build Up: Low Back Pain in Caregivers
Written by: 市川 塁 (Physical Therapist)
About 28 million people in Japan, roughly a quarter of the population, are said to suffer from low back pain. Looking at occupations, statistics from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare show that work-related low back pain is especially common in the health and hygiene sector, which includes care work.
Care work puts a heavy load on the lower back, and in practice I often hear care workers complain of back pain. Beyond that, there are many complaints about other areas too, such as knee pain, neck and shoulder problems and wrist pain, which makes me realize how much strain care work puts on many parts of the body.
The same is true for people caring for family members at home. When I visit homes for home-visit rehabilitation, family members often ask me about their own back pain, stiff shoulders and knee pain.
So in this column, I’ll share practical tips to help people caring for someone at home avoid building up strain in the lower back.
Where back pain prevention in caregiving stands today
Today, the care industry recommends preventing back pain through the “no-lift” approach (care without manual lifting), using welfare equipment such as patient lifts and power-assist suits.
In reality, however, these measures have not spread widely because of issues with usability, cost and the care environment. In home care settings, they are even less likely to catch on.
Training in transfer and assistance methods and procedures that put less strain on the back is also gradually advancing, but the condition of the person receiving care can change easily, and environments vary. So in reality, many people provide care in whatever way is easiest for them.
A recommended approach: don’t let fatigue build up
So is it impossible to eliminate back pain from caregiving?
It is true that strain on the lower back is unavoidable in caregiving. Helping someone transfer from a wheelchair to a bed, helping with dressing and bed baths, helping someone sit up in bed, pushing a wheelchair… Nearly everything strains the back.
That is why, as a realistic measure against back pain, I recommend the idea of “stored fatigue.” Its key point is the recognition that “strain builds up in the body, fatigue accumulates, and this leads to pain.” In other words, we accept that strain on the back is unavoidable and focus on not letting that strain and fatigue build up.
What matters is relieving back fatigue little and often so that it doesn’t build up. When you think about how caregiving strains the back, you probably know that much of the work is done with the back rounded. In other words, strain in the “rounding” direction is building up in the lower back.
The way to relieve this rounding strain is the “back-arch stretch,” which bends the lower back in the opposite direction.
The standing back-arch stretch
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
Place your hands on your lower back
Use your hands to push your lower back forward
And arch your lower back backward
The trick is to look straight ahead and take about 3 seconds for each arch while breathing out. Be careful not to bend your knees.
When and how much?
The other key point is when and how much to do it. Do one set of 3 to 5 repetitions, about 3 seconds each, before and after caregiving tasks.
One set takes only about 15 seconds, so except in emergencies, it should be realistic to keep up. In fact, many of the families I have coached are doing it.
If you are a caregiver, you know from experience which situations strain your body: helping someone transfer from a bed to a wheelchair, helping with meals, helping with dressing, wiping someone’s body… The list goes on. Take about 15 seconds before and after each of these, and relieve the strain on your back each time.
A lying-down back-arch stretch before bed
If you have time, I also recommend a lying-down back-arch stretch before bed to relieve the day’s fatigue.
Lie on your back
Place a pillow or cushion under your lower back
Raise both arms above your head
Breathe deeply in this position for about 1 minute
Rather than trying to eliminate back pain through caregiving techniques alone, it is important to understand how caregiving strains the body and to care for yourself little and often so that strain and fatigue don’t build up. I believe this is something you can start doing today.
Summary
To prevent back pain from caregiving, you need to understand the type of strain caregiving puts on your body and know how to relieve it little and often so that it doesn’t build up. The two key points are:
The type of strain caregiving puts on the lower back is strain in the “rounding” direction
The way to relieve it is to do the back-arch stretch for 15 seconds before and after caregiving
Please give it a try. I hope it helps ease caregivers’ physical complaints, even a little. If you have severe pain or numbness, don’t push yourself; consult a medical institution.
About the author: 市川 塁 (Physical Therapist)
This article is a contribution from a medical or care professional, re-edited by our editorial team. It provides general information as of the time of writing, and symptoms and circumstances differ from person to person. For specific decisions, please consult your doctor, dentist, pharmacist or another professional.
This is an English translation of a column originally published in Japanese by Next Co., Ltd.
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