Work clothes can be an important aspect of unifying the look of a team but they are also made to save your clothes from getting dirty. Today we're breaking down how wearing overalls or an apron could save you a low back injury.
The answer is simply that when you are not afraid to get your clothes dirty, you hold whatever it is you're lifting much closer to your body. That puts a lot less force on your arms, shoulders, and back which prevents a lot of unnecessary strain. As an example, let's say you have to lift a 10 lb cardboard box (that object could instead be an old toilet, a box of wine, a patient, or anything that better fits your situation). When you lift that box, it’s best to hold it close to your body because the force that is needed from your muscles will be dramatically reduced to lift. This is the same concept of physics that we talked about in my article, “And the winner for the best packed bag goes to... soldiers” about an object's moment arm. If you have a 10 lb box that is held with your arms outstretched, it feels much heavier than that same box held against your chest.
This is where an apron or any sort of uniform/work attire can be a huge benefit to reducing back pain. When a worker has specific work clothing that they are not afraid of getting dirty, they can lift that weight directly against their body to achieve the smallest moment arm. Here are some practical and impractical examples to drive home the point:
A friend asks you to help them move. You're a great friend so you agree. You should wear:
a. a nice suit or dress
b. regular day to day clothes that you like
c. old stuff you don't care about
A construction worker is on the job wearing a new dress shirt. They have to lift and carry bags of concrete 50 ft to another site. They hold the bag from the bottom (nice) but are afraid of ruining their shirt for date night so they hold it 6 inches from their chest. The force of the concrete bag will:
a. force them to strain their arms and shoulders
b. force them to counter balance from the bag being far away and strain their back
c. both of the above, they should wear work clothes and use a wheel barrow
A 22 lb baby is in need of a diaper change after a night's sleep. It's night time and you're groggy but you remember reading Dr. Cole's article about lifting and wearing protective clothing and don't want to injure your back. You:
a. bend over the crib and pick up the baby
b. bend over the crib, pull the baby close to you then pick up the baby
c. leave the stinky diaper for you partner
The answers for 1. and 2. are obviously choice C. but for 3. I'd give you full points if you answered B. or C.
An apron costs anywhere from $5 to $50, depending on quality and how funny the written phrase (my personal favourites are, “I’M the secret ingredient”, and “Hi hungry, I’m Dad”). Old clothing is generally free and found in the donation pile or at the back of your closet. Work clothes are pricier but are typically made to last for your work environment.
No matter if you have to buy overalls, coveralls, scrub tops, or aprons, the cost of the work clothing is definitely less expensive than the price of injuring your back.
Lift smart, get dirty.
Dr. Cole Maranger, DC
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