Body mechanics

One of the keys to preventing an injury during a transfer is use proper body mechanics and lifting with your biggest, strongest muscle groups – your hips, thighs and buttocks. Body mechanics are the way your whole body moves to keep its balance during movement and rest. When you practice good posture and use the right muscles to lift and/or transfer, you are performing your work with proper body mechanics.

Below are some suggestions for using proper body mechanics when preparing for transfers:

Think before you act.

• Plan how you are going to perform a transfer. Don’t just rush into it. Go through the entire transfer in your mind before you begin.
• Before you start, be sure you know if the person is physically able to participate in the transfer.
• If the person is alert, let him or her know what you plan to do – step by step. Talk about how the person can help and encourage him or her to assist as much as possible.
• Taking time to plan is worth it. Remember, it’s tough to ask for help when you have a person half in and half out of bed.

Get help if you need it.

• Be realistic about how much weight you can safely lift.
• Gather transfer equipment if the person is too heavy or too difficult for you to move yourself.

Set the stage.

• Make sure there are no obstacles in your way. For example, keep the path clear between the person’s bed and wheelchair.
• Place your equipment where it needs to be so that the distance is as short as possible. For example, make sure the wheelchair is close to the bed and that the wheels are locked.
• Check that neither you nor the person has any loose clothing that might get stuck in a bed rail or a wheelchair during the transfer.

Balance it out.

• Stand so your weight is centered over your feet. Don’t put more weight on one foot than the other.
• Keep feet shoulder-width apart. If you stand with your feet too close together, you might lose your balance.
• Don’t “lock” your knees. Keep them loose and flexible.
• Wear shoes with non-slip soles and try to have the person do the same. Wearing only socks could cause both of you to end up on the floor.

Tighten it up.

• ­Pull in your abdominal muscles and tighten your buttocks at the same time to create a “girdle” that supports your lower back.
• Don’t round your back when you tighten your buttock muscles. Instead, keep your back arched inward slightly.
• To prevent injury, work to keep your abdominal, back and buttock muscles in good shape with daily exercise.

Use your big muscles.

• If you bend over at the waist to lift or move a person, your back muscles lift the weight of the person and the weight of your upper body. When you bend at the knees, you use the big muscle groups in your buttocks and thighs instead.
• Bending at your knees also helps you keep your balance during a transfer.
• If you need to bend forward, bend from the hips, not the waist.

Don’t do the twist.

• Plan your transfer so that you don’t have to twist your body. Twisting your lower back puts you at risk for muscle strain – or even a more serious back injury.
• To avoid twisting, keep your shoulders and hips facing the same direction. Turn your feet first, and then follow with your shoulders and hips at the same time.

Get close.

• Keeping the person close to you helps use your large muscle groups and prevents straining the smaller arm and back muscles.
• Keep a secure hold on the person, but don’t grip so hard that it hurts. If appropriate, gait belts are one way to keep a good grip on the person.

Take the breath test.

• If you can’t lift and breathe at the same time, the person is too heavy for you. Ask for help.
• Use smooth, steady movements during a lift or transfer. Try not to jerk. This can frighten the person, and it can cause injury to both of you.
• Don’t be in a hurry. It can take only a second to injure your back and years for it to heal.

Tips for Performing Safe Transfers

• Try to stretch and loosen your muscles every day before caring for your person. Even 5 minutes of stretching can help save your back.
• If you must lean forward, support the weight of your upper body on your free hand and arm to relieve the pressure on your lower back.
• Just because a person is small doesn’t mean that he or she will be easy to transfer. Be sure to think about the person’s flexibility, range of motion and overall strength. All these things together affect how easy a transfer will be.
• If recommended, make use of assistive devices like mechanical lifts, transfer belts, sliding boards or drawsheets. It may take a few more minutes to get these devices in place – but it will be worth it in the long run. Remember to practice using the equipment before using it with an actual person.
• If you’ve felt pain or discomfort while moving your person, then don’t do it again in the same way. Change your technique or get help when it’s time to move the person again.
• Practice good posture. Your ears, shoulders and hips should all be in a straight line –along with the front of your knees and ankles.
• You can try to improve your posture by standing against a wall. Keep your heels about 2 inches away from the wall. There should be a space between your waist and the wall about as thick as your hand. Keep your chin parallel to the floor.
• When possible, encourage the person to practice good posture, too. This might help him or her have fewer aches and pains – and have a better quality of life.
• As you go about your daily life, remember to push, pull or roll heavy objects – rather than lifting them – whenever possible.
• Remember that a back injury can change your life. It can keep you from caring for the person, doing your job if employed, and from doing the things you love. A back injury can also give you a lifetime of chronic pain.
• If you hurt your back, let your physician know if pain persists.