The most common injury associated with moving is the proverbial “throwing out your back.” A person lifts a heavy box the wrong way, or misses the stair, or simply twists around the wrong way while packing… then POP… and there’s wincing, clenching and pain.
Throwing out your back can mean a lot of things, really. There can be a slipped or herniated disc, a muscle tear, muscle spasms, a ligament strain or tear, and even an ambiguous injury that not even a doctor can figure out. In any event, it’s a debilitating and enduring injury that can last for months or years. And if it’s ever going to happen, its going to happen while packing on moving day. However, you can take steps to protect yourself.
Throwing out your back when moving is an avoidable injury. Just be careful. Move deliberately and only lift what you know you can lift. Don’t push it; don’t rush; don’t take risks. Be slow and steady, and you’ll eventually get the job done without a mountain of doctor’s bills awaiting you.