Oh My Aching Back; 4 Keys to Personal Back Fitness

Mention an injured leg, fractured wrist, pinched fingers, sprained foot or toe, or bruised knee from a sports or work related injury; not a problem. Now consider a "back injury" and your mind starts to shudder, quiver and shake with a strange fear. That's because back injuries can be a career ending injury. There have been over 12 Minnesota paramedics and EMT's that have succumbed to this devastating injury just in the last few years, and some have never returned to work the 911 calls on the street again, and there are many more around the country.

Back complaints are the second most common visit to a physician's office. Most persons experience some type of back injury or pain in their lifetime. There is an increase of the size of patients who need to be lifted or transferred. "Americans are getting heavier," April 24, 2006, reports Jon Tesh radio. Patients are getting heavier, so EMS, fire-rescue and your back need to get ready. Start to reduce your risk of injuring your back and maintain a healthy and fit back today. The success may come when we all change our personal daily habits.

Has your back been aching you lately? Mine had and has. I never thought I would fall on a slippery floor and injure my back, disc and lumbar vertebrae. It has been four years since my fall and back injury, and I am a "spine patient." They may never let me work as a clinical paramedic or nurse again; I can not bend over and lift heavy loads. I have spent countless hours on several back education and rehabilitation programs. Not to mention the hours I have spent with doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, fitness experts, neurologists, radiologists, orthopedic surgeons and a spine surgeon, in addition to my personal home and exercise program. I use a lumbar traction unloading device called an LTX 3000 twice daily. Nonetheless, my average workout week in the summer is to bicycle 50 miles and sea kayak 30 miles on a river, and walk 4-5 times a week. I'm not bragging, but some of you with a healthy non-injured back need to get going.

I have discovered four extraordinary lessons about personal back fitness and back injury prevention for all of us to use on a personal daily basis. Tim Barnes, personalized fitness trainer of Pueblo, Colorado says, "Getting fit is improving your quality of life." I met Mr. Barnes at an 18-mile sea kayak marathon on Lake Superior as he was preparing for competition races at the canoe and kayak national competition this summer in Wisconsin. Tim recommends that we need to personally plan to succeed for a healthy and fit back and body. "Choosing to do nothing," Tim says, "is a plan to fail."

I have summarized some four essential lessons for all EMS and rescue workers to take better care of your backs. They will be presented in greater detail at the 2006 EMS Expo on September 29 in Las Vegas on "Back Injuries and Back Fitness for EMS." See www.emsexpo2006.com.

Get Exercising!

Easier said than done. Exercise is proven to be the best preventative measure and rehabilitation technique for the back injured patient. Informally surveyed, most Twin Cities paramedics from six hospital-based ambulance services in Minnesota, estimate that "only 10 percent of EMS workers 'work-out' 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes" if the work-out is not on paid time or required as a mandatory part of the employment guidelines. Exercise provides many benefits; even walking strengthens your back. "Exercises seem to be the only intervention that has proven to be effective for the prevention of low back pain," according to Wall and Melzack's Textbook of Pain, 5th Edition, Chapter 46.