Watch Your Back

Could one injury produce other injuries in the same body? A recent study examined workers with injuries in areas other than the low back. They found that those with hand, wrist, ankle, or foot problems compensated with their backs unconsciously, to “make up for” the distant injury. They might twist faster when pulling objects off shelves, or alter their pacing and coordination when leaning over. The next question will be: if the low back is forced to compensate for an ankle injury, would this result in a low back problem as well? It wouldn’t seem quite fair! However, if you’ve injured a wrist or ankle, I might suggest that you take extra good care of your back while you heal!