Body Mechanics in Daily Activities

Body Mechanics

• Body mechanics involve the coordinated and safe use of the body to move objects. It's the efficient and coordinated effort of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
• Body mechanics are crucial to maintain balance, posture, and alignment during daily activities like lifting, moving, positioning and performing daily living activities.

Purpose of Body Mechanics

• Body mechanics help prevent excessive fatigue, muscle strains/tears, and skeletal injuries.
• Proper body mechanics also prevent injuries to the patient and assisting staff.

Principles of Good Body Mechanics

• Maintain a Stable Center of Gravity: Keeping your center of gravity low, keeping your back straight, and bending at the knees and hips.
• Maintain a Wide Base of Support: Keeping feet apart, placing one foot slightly ahead of the other, and flexing your knees.
• Maintain the Line of Gravity: An imaginary vertical line that passes through the center of gravity and the base of support of an object.
• Maintain Proper Body Alignment: Keeping your back straight, head erect, arms at your sides (with elbows slightly flexed), abdominal area pulled in, knees slightly flexed, and toes pointed forward.
• Keep the object close to your body (before lifting, pulling, reaching or carrying an object): Carrying items close to the body reduces strain.
• Use the largest and strongest muscles (arms, legs, trunk): Using larger muscle groups reduces strain on smaller muscles.

Center of Gravity

• The point in the body where all the mass is centered.
• Located in the pelvis.

Standing & Sitting

• Standing: Avoid standing in one place too long, bending at the waist or neck, and locking the knees straight.
• Sitting: Sit with your back straight against the chair, support your thighs against the chair seat (as far as the curve of the knee), sit with feet flat on the floor, and keep your head and neck aligned with the spine. Ensure knees are at 90 degrees.

Pushing, Pulling, and Carrying

• Pushing: Do it whenever possible, keep your head up, knees bent, and back straight. Keep the load in front, use both hands, and stay close to the item.
• Pulling or Twisting: Avoid pulling when you can push, avoid twisting your body, and avoid leaning forward.
• Carrying: Test the load, use a cart/transfer device whenever possible, pivot with your feet, use both hands, keep objects near your body, and ask for assistance if needed.

Avoiding Common Errors

• Carrying with one hand.
• Twisting your body.
• Bent-over posture when carrying.
• Lifting heavy items without assistance.

General Tips for Performing Physical Tasks

• Pulling, pushing, or rolling items is easier than lifting them.
• Keep movements smooth and coordinated.
• Use arm and leg muscles as much as possible.
• Keep the work as close as possible to your body.
• Make sure the work is at a comfortable height to avoid bending.
• Maintain good physical condition.
• Reduce friction to reduce required force to move an object.
• Good body mechanics help reduce muscle fatigue and the risk of injury.

Range of Motion (ROM)

• The maximum movement possible for a joint without causing pain. Includes movements like flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation...

Types of Ordinary Body Movements

• Flexion: Decreasing the angle of a joint (bending).
• Extension: Increasing the angle of a joint (straightening).
• Hyperextension: Extending a joint beyond its normal range of motion.
• Rotation: Movement around an axis.
• Abduction: Movement of a limb away from the midline.
• Adduction: Movement of a limb towards the midline.
• Circumduction: Combination of flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. Most commonly in ball and socket joints.
• Inversion: Turning sole of foot medially.
• Eversion: Turning sole of foot laterally.
• Dorsiflexion: Lifting the foot so its superior surface approaches the shin.
• Plantar flexion: Depressing the foot.
• Supination: Rotating forearm laterally so palm faces up (anterior).
• Pronation: Rotating forearm medially so palm faces down (posterior).
• Opposition: Moving thumb to touch the tips of other fingers on same hand.