UNIT I: BODY MECHANICS

- Is the coordinated effort of the musculo-skeletal and nervous

system to maintain balance, posture and body alignment during
lifting, moving, positioning and performing activities of daily living.
Posture - how you sit or stand. Good posture positions the body correctly and make
sure your weight is evenly balanced. This means that the skeleton, muscles and
ligaments aren’t overstretched or stained.
Good Standing Posture
1. Stand straight and tall with your shoulders back.
2. Keep your head level and in line with your body.
3. Pull in your abdomen.
4. Keep your feet shoulder – width apart.
5. Don’t lock your knees.
6. Bear your weight primarily on the ball of your feet.
7. Let your hands hang naturally at your sides.
4 Types of poor posture
1. Forward Head – is when your head is positioned with your ears in front of
the vertical midline of your body. If your body is in alignment, your ears and
shoulders will be lined up with your vertical midline.
Tech neck, text neck, and nerd neck are other names for forward head
posture. It often comes from hunching over a cell phone or computer, or your
steering wheel if you drive a lot.

It can also result from the aging process as you lose muscle strength in your
upper body.

2. Kyphosis – refers to an exaggerated curvature of your upper back where the

shoulders are rounded forward. It is called hunchback.
Osteoporosis (bone thinning) can cause the shoulders to round as your spinal
bones weaken with age. It’s frequently seen in older women. Other age-
related causes include degeneration of your spinal disks or vertebrae.
Younger persons may develop kyphosis as a result of disease such as polio or
Scheuermann’s disease, infection, or chemotherapy or radiation to treat
cancer.

3. Swayback – also called lordosis or hyper lordosis, is when hips and pelvis tilt
forward, in front of your body’s midline.

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 In this position, your lower back has an exaggerated inward curve. You look
like you’re leaning back when you’re standing up, with your stomach and your
rear sticking out.
You can develop swayback if you sit a lot, which tightens the muscles in your
back. Sitting for prolonged periods can also weaken your abdominal muscles
and glutes. In both cases, the core muscles that stabilize your back become
weak.
Other causes may be obesity, injury, neuromuscular conditions, and
abnormalities of your spine and vertebrae.

4. Flatback - Flatback is a condition where the normal curve of your lower

spine loses some of its curvature. Your lower back looks straight and you
stoop forward.
It can be present at birth, or it can result from some kinds of back surgery or
degenerative conditions of the spine, including ankylosing
spondylitis (inflammatory arthritis), disc degeneration, and vertebrae
compression.
Flatback can make it painful for you to stand for long periods.

Other Types of Posture

Poking chin. Sitting in a chair that’s too low and leaning forward to see your screen
or looking up at a screen that’s placed too high can result in a chin that pokes
forward.
Uneven shoulders or hips. You may tilt to one side when you stand if one leg is
longer than the other. It may also affect your gait.
Military-style posture. Here your back is ramrod straight and your chest is thrust
forward.

Correct Sitting position

 keeping the feet flat or resting them on the floor or a footrest
 avoiding crossing the knees or ankles
 maintaining a small gap between the back of the knees and the chair
 positioning the knees at the same height or slightly lower than the hips
 placing the ankles in front of the knees
 relaxing the shoulders
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Member: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC)
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  keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor where possible
 holding the elbows at the sides, creating an L-shape in the arms
 sitting up straight and looking forward without straining the neck
 keeping the back against the chair or using a backrest or cushion if there are
places where the back does not comfortably meet the chair, especially in the
lower back region
 avoiding sitting for extended periods, ideally taking at least a 10-minute break
for every hour of sitting
 switching positions regularly

Positions to avoid

 sitting slumped to one side with the spine bent

 keeping the knees, ankles, or arms crossed
 dangling or not properly supporting the feet
 sitting for a long time in one position
 straining the neck for long periods while looking at a monitor, telephone
screen, or document
 sitting for an extended period without taking a break

Effects of bad posture

Bad posture can lead to many kinds of physical problems, from back pain to
pain in your temporomandibular joint, to lack of balance and foot pronation.

It's easy to forget that pushing and pulling motions don't affect just the arms and
legs. Pushing and pulling can also be harmful to your back. Like many motions
involving the back, there's a right way and a wrong way to push and pull. Follow
these tips to help protect your back:
If you have to push a light load:

 Bend the knees a bit while keeping your ears, shoulder, and hips in line.
 Pull in and tighten the belly muscles.
 Lean toward the object to be pushed and then use your legs and the force of
your body weight to move the object forward.
 Take little steps to reduce strain on your back.

If you have to push a heavy load, follow the steps above, remembering to keep
your back straight, not hunched.

If you have to pull a load:

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Member: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC)
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  Keeping your knees bent, face the object.
 Walk backward while pulling the object, being careful not to twist the body.
 When pulling with one hand, place the other hand on the hip to help keep you
balanced and stable without twisting.
 Lean back, but keep your arms straight so that your body pulls the load, not
your back. 

Improper ways of manual lifting may cause back pain, slip Disc, or painful
hernia as it subjects the muscles of the human body to varying degrees of stress,
and also there is a sharp increase in the pressure exerted on the intervertebral disc
of the spinal column.

1. Position the feet.

2. Straight back and bend knees.
3. Load close the body.
4. Correct Grasp.
5. Tuck your Chin In.
6. Keep body weight directly over feet and lift with legs.

Things to Avoid:

 Lifting with body in a rotated position

 Lifting from an imbalanced position
 Twisting of body while lifting

Different types of lifts

There are different types of lifts that can be utilized depending on the height and
weight of the object, and distance the object must be moved.

 Golfers lift / Picking up something from the floor

 Used to pick up light objects from the ground.
 Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee while the other
leg is straight behind you, parallel to the ground keeping a flat
back.
 Deep squat lift
 Used for heavier objects that only require 1 person such as
boxes.
 Start with the object in front of you, squat down with your hips
below your knees, bring the object close to your body and stand
up as you lift at the same time.
 Traditional lift
 Used for medium weights such as children, backpack, or
suitcase.

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Member: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC)
Agricultural Colleges Association of the Philippines (ACAP)
  Object starts in front of you, squat down but keep your hips
above your knees, lift the object and bring it close to your body,
then stand up.

Guidelines to Follow:

 Test the object’s weight before lifting

 Move item as close to your body as possible before lifting
 Make sure feet are in a wide stance
 Bend your knees to squat/lunge position if possible
 Lift with your legs, not back
 Ensure a neutral back/spine during the whole lifting motion
 Ask for help if something is too heavy

References:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?
contenttypeid=1&contentid=4458
https://rlsdhamal.com/six-steps-for-safe-manual-handling/
https://goodliferehab.com/body-mechanics-lifting-backpain/

Accredited: Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP)
Member: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC)
Agricultural Colleges Association of the Philippines (ACAP)