These Home Chores Can Result in a Back or Neck Injury

spine healthAs a homeowner, it’s one chore after the next. Just when you think you’ll have time to sit down, something else gets in your way.

While most home chores are nothing more than an annoyance, some can result in injury if you’re not careful about what you’re doing.

Here are five home chores that can cause a back or neck injury:

·      Mowing the lawn. It sounds easy enough, until you find yourself pushing a heavy lawnmower as the sun beats down on you. If you push yourself too far, you could suffer an injury that causes serious pain.

·      Gardening. Although many people consider it a fun activity, gardening has a way of taking its toll on your body. You stand, you sit, and you kneel. Furthermore, you may find yourself carrying heavy items, such as bags of dirt, from one location to the next.

·      Cleaning windows. In addition to climbing up and down a ladder, you do a lot of stretching when cleaning windows. All of these activities can result in back or neck pain.

·      Vacuuming. This sounds innocent enough, but it can actually cause a variety of injuries. For example, if you’re stretching to reach under a couch or table, you could pull a muscle in your back.

·      Working on your car. Even if you’re not pushing, pulling or lifting, getting underneath your car requires you to maneuver your body in a number of different ways.

If any of these home chores result in a back or neck injury, make sure you stop what you are doing to receive medical attention. You don’t want to assume you can treat the injury on your own, as there may be more to it than meets the eye.