The Worst Habits for Your Back

New York Times: The Worst Habits for Your Back, According to Spine Surgeons

Spine surgeons pinpoint four everyday habits that often lead to back pain:

The Worst Habits for Your Back, According to Spine Surgeons

1) Lifting improperly - bending at the waist, twisting while lifting, or not using proper form places excessive stress on the lumbar spine.

2) Carrying weight on one shoulder - leads to muscle imbalance and uneven spinal loading.

3) Weak core muscles - failing to support the spine adequately during functional movement.

4) Ignoring early pain or stiffness - dismissing mild discomfort can allow issues to escalate into chronic conditions.

Physical Therapist Perspectives & Cautions

Physical therapists offer a more nuanced view, grounded in movement science and individualized care:

1) No single “best” lifting technique

While spinal surgeons may favor the squat form, newer PT evidence suggests stoop (bending at the waist) and semi‐squat styles can be equally valid depending on context. In fact, stoop lifting is more metabolically efficient, less taxing on the heart/lungs, and does not necessarily lead to injury when performed appropriately. The optimal technique depends on goals and each persons’ prerequisite strength and mobility. What may be the “best” for one person, would not necessarily be advised for someone else.

2) Build the capacity for unilateral loading

Yes, repeatedly loading one side can overwork specific muscle groups (e.g. upper traps, quadratus lumborum, obliques) and underuse others, potentially leading to tightness, pain, or postural compensations. However, rather than avoiding asymmetrical carrying altogether, newer research supports building tolerance and balance through intentional unilateral strength and functional stability exercises to condition the body for these stresses.

While I would probably get hurt carrying an 80 pound bag of shingles up a ladder all day, like I saw our roofers do yesterday ( I asked later and he is 58 years old and has been roofing since he was 18), doesn’t mean I couldn’t condition my body up to it given the appropriate training over a period of time.

3) Core strength myths clarified

We emphasize that not all ab muscles are equal: stability primarily comes from smaller “deep” spinal stabilizers, not large movers targeted by sit-ups. Effective core training involves improving hip/ pelvic/ and spinal mobility, then strengthening through the full range of motion in all 3 planes of motion, to create core strength that can functionally move and tolerate every day and sport stresses.

4) Listen to pain, but don’t fear it

From a movement-based PT lens, pain is information—not a danger signal to shut everything down. While it’s important not to ignore persistent symptoms, most early aches, stiffness, or discomfort are signs of tissue sensitivity, not structural damage.

Rather than avoid movement, we aim to modify and adapt it:

• Can you move in a way that feels safer or more comfortable?
• Can you reduce intensity or change the range of motion, but keep moving?

Early intervention almost always doesn’t mean rest or scans. It often means gradual exposure, thoughtful progressions, and keeping your system mobile and resilient. Movement, when dosed correctly, is part of the solution, not the cause.

While I think this article was written with good intentions, it completely neglects newer research and will create fear-avoidance behaviors which we see on a regular basis. If anyone has an in, I would love to write a counter article!

Construction Update!

Roofing is officially in! Big thanks to everyone who came by this week - we appreciate your patience with the symphony of hammers and the charming debris trail.

Up next: siding kicks off this week, along with HVAC installation led by Comfort Systems (a.k.a. my dad and brother’s business). Though judging by the invoice, they must’ve forgotten the family discount...just kidding!

Thanks again for rolling with the noise, and mess - we're getting close!

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