Cheryl Martin (Host): Have you noticed you always have work no matter how long the to do list is? And at times, you may rush through it. But how often do you stop to think about the toll that daily tasks are taking on your body? Coming up, Kyle Summers, an Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner, offers some practical tips to help protect yourself at home and work. This is Woodlawn Health DocTalk, a podcast from Woodlawn Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Kyle, great to have you on to discuss this topic.

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Thank you, Cheryl. I'm happy to be here.

Host: So let's begin first with the term I'm not familiar with, body mechanics. What does it mean?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Body mechanics refers to the way that we move during the course of our activity, and it can apply to any movement we make. Sit, stand, carry, push, pull, anything.

Host: So how is body mechanics different from regular exercise?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Body mechanics apply when you're exercising, just as much as they do when you're moving about your regular day and doing your chores. It's not about what you're doing, it's about the fact that you're moving.

Host: And because we are moving, what is it we need to be aware of as a result of moving to understand the toll that body movement takes on our bodies?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: We can kind of break that down by going back to the ABCs of body mechanics. We have to think about how our body is aligned, what our base of support is, and where our center of gravity is. When we're moving, it's important that we know what we're supporting our body, making sure that we're focusing on large muscles, keeping things close to our body, because you're more likely to get injured if you're carrying something away from your body and putting strain on multiple points of your body than if you are carrying it close to your body. So we have to think about how we're aligned, what is supporting the action that we're doing, and where that center of gravity is falling. Is it within our body or is it, you know, offset from us?

Host: So can anyone use proper body mechanics?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: can Yes, anyone can and everyone should.

Host: Is it the same as ergonomics?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Well, ergonomics actually stems from the Greek word ergon, meaning work, and namos, meaning natural law. That's the study of people's efficiency when they're working. Body mechanics is defined as maintaining proper muscle and skeletal position during movement. So, ergonomics focuses on changing the process and changing to support the body mechanics.

Host: So, in order to make sure you are taking advantage of body mechanics; do you have to work with a doctor or a therapist to learn proper body mechanics?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Absolutely not. Certainly physical therapists, doctors, coaches, fitness professionals, nurse practitioners; they're all great resources to go to if you find you're injured or you're having questions. But being aware of our bodies and being intentional in our movement and listening to what our bodies are telling us is certainly a great way to start.

Host: Now what if a person has physical limitations?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: So I would say that the use of proper body mechanics is even more important in light of limitations. If you find out minor accommodations, minor bracing, minor changes in your movement can actually promote healing. So whether it's a temporary limitation or or whether it's a permanent limitation, adjusting how you're doing it can help strengthen smaller muscles that support large muscles that ultimately end up preventing injury.

Host: Now do you recommend an awareness of body mechanics, let's say for the elderly, so they may not be walking around with a long to do list, but I know that they can be more prone to injuries.

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Oh, absolutely. I mean, working on trying to have decent posture, is very important as opposed to being hunched over with the elderly is a perfect example. If their center of gravity gets off place, they're more likely to have a fall, which is more likely to create a cascading events that cause long term health issues for them.

Like, even if they're simply reaching to the nightstand to get something and the nightstand's a little farther away than they realize, they're more likely to fall than if they take the one step forward and then get the item. So again, by taking that one step forward, they're focusing on their center of gravity.

Host: You mentioned looking down and I see so many people walking and looking down at their cell phones or just a regular habit. How many times a day are we doing that? Do we have to be concerned about that and how it's affecting our bodies?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Sure. We're seeing a lot of neck and shoulder injuries and people having complaints of pain and discomfort simply because of the amount of screen time. So we do have to be aware to take breaks instead of being hunched over a computer or hunched over a cell phone all the time. Take that hand and elbow that's constantly bent, holding the cell phone with only your thumb moving, set that down and stretch your arm. Work all of the options of range of motion throughout your shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers. Give that arm and those positions a break.

Host: Kyle, how long have we known about the importance of body mechanics?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Oh, it goes all the way back to the time of the development of physics.

Host: But are we just talking about it more now?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Absolutely. I think that people are paying attention to themselves a little bit more now. They're seeing and feeling injuries. I mean, you know, the computer age has brought a lot of that about considering the fact that we're actually sitting still for too long and sedentary and hurting ourself with the cell phone use and the computer use. Just getting up and moving is very beneficial as opposed to being sedentary.

Host: And what would you say are the best things to do to prevent injuries?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: I think the best thing is to modify your activity because you want to protect your joints, your muscles, your tendons, and your ligaments. So you want to maintain a broad base of support. Make sure that you're bending at the hips and knees as opposed to just putting all of that strain on a hunched over back.

You want to get as close to the object as possible that you're lifting. Carry things close to the center of the abdomen. You want to use your strongest muscles. So an example with that would be lifting with your legs instead of just bending over at the waist and pulling something up. You want to put your whole body weight behind you to help you push and pull, as opposed to just grabbing something and putting all of that effort into your arm. You want to avoid twisting, and you want to avoid any repetitive action for any length of time. It's important to rest after strenuous work, take breaks, stretch before and after activities, or first thing in the morning and at the end of the evening.

Host: I'm glad you mentioned muscles because what's the difference between muscles, tendons, and ligaments?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: So muscles are fibrous tissue, and they contract, allowing us to move. Tendons are a band of tissue connecting the muscles to our bones. Ligaments are an elastic band of tissue that connects bone to bone. It offers some stability to the joint. So if we have a tear in a ligament, that affects that joint's ability to function.

And then we also have cartilage, which is soft, gel like padding. It can be found between the body's joints, kind of to protect, and it kind of works as a gel that helps glide and aid in movement.

Host: So, what I hear you saying, it seems like a lot of this in terms of making sure that our daily regimen doesn't take a toll on our bodies is to be really intentional.

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Absolutely. I think that's the best way to put it.

Host: Anything else you'd like to add, Kyle, on this topic?

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Just that small changes add up for greater benefits in the long run.

Host: I like that, and I think we can all do some small changes. Kyle Summers, thank you for sharing your expertise and passion. Some great tips for keeping our lives running more smoothly.

Kyle Sommers, FNP: Thank you for having me.

Host: For more information, go to woodlawnhospital.org and search for Occupational Health. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. This is Woodlawn Health DocTalk, a podcast from Woodlawn Health. Thanks for listening.