Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Graur Razvan Ionut
I was having dinner at a friend’s home a few nights ago. This friend also happened to be a back pain patient. As I watched her prepare dinner, I noticed a whole series of things happening in her kitchen that were clearly compromising her body mechanics, and likely exacerbating her pain.
We got into a lengthy discussion about her home ergonomics over dinner, and during the hour or so after we finished eating, we proceeded to move things around and make her kitchen more ergonomically friendly.
Many of the things I suggested were obvious to her once I brought them to her attention, some were a surprise, but when we were done I felt she was less likely to be doing herself harm. My work was done.
Is Your Kitchen a Minefield of Ergonomic Disasters?
Many of the things that contribute to our discomfort are the things we do every single day. I call these "anatomic bombs." Sometimes modifying a few, or sometimes even only one of these things to make them more back friendly can have a profound effect on how you feel.
Over the next few weeks, I am going to go room by room and give you tips on how to get rid of the anatomic bombs in your home. Today, we will begin with your kitchen.
Here are some suggestions for improving your kitchen set up:
1) Arrange your kitchen work areas by activity. Your cutting and chopping items near the area you would likely place your cutting board to chop vegetables, cleaning items near the sink, etc..
2) Put pots overhead. Get a hanging pot rack, and install it near your stove. Keeping your pots and pans, particularly those which weigh the most, in a low cabinet, puts your back at risk every time you reach for it.
3) Get a stool with wheels to sit on for longer tasks. If you’ve just served a large dinner, standing in front of the sink for an hour cleaning dishes will do your back no favors. Same thing if you need to spend a long time chopping or cutting items. An adjustable-height bench will provide you the same benefit when performing such tasks as oven cleaning.
4) Unload utensils at once to minimize repetitive movement. To reach, turn, put away into the drawer -- over and over -- can be stressful on the body. Instead, try a pull-out organizer that lets you put all of the flatware back at once.
5) Keep some simple cleaning items on the counter next to your sink. This way so you are not constantly reaching underneath to get frequently used items.
6) Place heavier items in your refrigerator on the higher shelves when possible (some refrigerators do not have high shelves which can easily support heavier items, such as a turkey.) Gallons of milk should either be kept high, or partially emptied into a smaller serving container. This will make retrieving these items easier on your back.
Try It Now
Take a look around your own house, and see if you can identify any ergonomic shortfalls in your home which might be causing you discomfort. You may be surprised by the ones staring you right in the face.
Andrew Kirschner, D.O., is a board-certified physician with a private practice in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and a consultancy in Miami, Florida. He specializes in treating individuals and couples with musculoskeletal and back pain. To learn more about his practice, please visit BackTogether.org.
