Lessons from a Strained Back: The Importance of Posture and Safety
Earlier
today, while bending down to place some light luggage in the trunk of my car, I
felt a sharp, electric-like pain in my lower back. I had strained my lower back
slightly. This experience reminded me of safety slogans related to back pain at
construction sites in Japan, such as, "What you do depends on your posture
both mentally and physically," "Don't try to carry heavy items by
yourself; have two people carry them," and "I didn't want to be
friends with my back pain, but my back pain became my friend." These
slogans resonated strongly with me. Fortunately, after taking a nap, I
recovered about 50%.