My Back Hurts.

[Peegee]

God do I have to do everything around here?

Julian's advice is good except it doesn't teach anything.

Lifting with your 'knees' is also good advice, but what does it mean?

What you do is bend at the knees, grab the whatever, and then stand up. Your back should not 'round' and at best should be leaning forward, but with a neutral spine position

I don't remember your posture or if I even figured it out from your pics...hmm...sec

oh whatever. however you naturally stand, your back should not deviate too much.

Arching your back forward or backward is dangerous.

[Jiro]

Exactly like PG said. You can also just like, order somebody else to do the lifting. Say you're a dainty little girl (ie lie through your teeth) and I'm sure some white knight will help you out.

[Shiny]

I put Bengay on my lower back like an old person while I sleep and when I awake it feels better. Also I tend to do yoga to stretch it out. Back massages always help too. If neither of these things work: Vicodin + muscle relaxer.

[Shorty]

I will second the vicodin.

I will also take some if you have it available.

[rubah]

I pop mine. I don't exactly recommend it, but here's my process:

grab a doorframe or some sturdy object about stomach/chest height at arm's length

bend towards it, keeping one leg in line with body until something pops
return to standing position, turn 90° and bend towards it again until you get another pop
repeat with other leg

[NorthernChaosGod]

Julian's advice is good except it doesn't teach anything.

It doesn't have to. Either she breaks her back because she does the lift incorrectly or she strengthens it and learns how to lift with her legs.

[Shlup]

I can't tell you because it's not family-friendly and I don't think it's legal in your state. That, or I just make someone else do the lifting. Most of the bending I do at my job is to get a plastic bag to put the purchases in.

[Pike]

Unfortunately, my job description is "lifting stuff", so I can't get out of it.

I'll try this bending-at-the-knees thing and report back.

[Shlup]

Don't they put that in every job description, just in case?

Move out here and work at Disneyland with me.

[Slothy]

No. Move out here and be an accountant with... ah who am I kidding? Go to Disneyland. There may be no heavy lifting at my workplace (in part because I'm the guy that gets to do it all when there is), but there are also no roller coasters or whatever the hell they have at Disneyland, and Mickey Mouse isn't my boss.

[Pike]

I'd be okay with working at Disneyland. I once knew a guy who was Peter Pan at Disneyland for a few years and he had all sorts of fun tales about how he had to wear three layers of green tights so he leg hairs wouldn't poke out and that sort of thing.

Anyways I tried the bending at the knees thing today at work. It was kind of a pain in the butt because it takes more effort than just leaning over, but my back was less sore at the end of the day. (Still sore, though.) We'll see how things are at the end of the week.

[Tigmafuzz]

Your back will feel much better at the end of the week. It probably hurts a little more than it should right now because you're still sorta recovering from the previous week. It'll get easier as you go along.

I once knew a guy who was Peter Pan at Disneyland for a few years and he had all sorts of fun tales about how he had to wear three layers of green tights so he leg hairs wouldn't poke out and that sort of thing.

...Why didn't he just shave his legs?

[Shorty]

Wearing tightass tights all day, every day? That would be itchy as trout.

[Pike]

Your back will feel much better at the end of the week. It probably hurts a little more than it should right now because you're still sorta recovering from the previous week. It'll get easier as you go along.

I once knew a guy who was Peter Pan at Disneyland for a few years and he had all sorts of fun tales about how he had to wear three layers of green tights so he leg hairs wouldn't poke out and that sort of thing.

...Why didn't he just shave his legs?

I dunno, he probably thought his friends would laugh at him or something. Who knows.

He also apparently dated half the female Disney characters in the park or something. He had some great stories.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Well I want to work at Disneyland now. D: