398 Work
Lifting and
Carrying
Heavy
Loads
Health problems
Women everywhere suffer from
back and neck problems, usually from
heavy lifting during their daily work.
Carrying water, wood, and older
children for long distances can cause
serious strain.
Young girls who carry many
heavy loads—especially water—have
problems with the back and spine
(backbone).Their pelvic bones also
develop poorly, which can lead to
dangerous pregnancies later on.
Carrying heavy loads can cause
young women to suffer more
miscarriages, and can make older
women and those who have recently
given birth more likely to have fallen
womb (prolapse).
Prevention:
How to lift safely:
• Use leg muscles—not back muscles—when lifting. When
you lift objects or children from the ground, kneel or squat
to pick them up rather than bending over.
➤ It is easier
to prevent back
problems than to
cure them. Whenever
possible, let your legs
do the work—not
your back.
• Keep your back, shoulders, and neck as straight as possible.
• Do not lift or carry heavy objects during pregnancy or right
after childbirth.
• Get someone to help you lift heavy objects. It may seem
quicker to lift something by yourself. But later on you may
lose time because of a back injury.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012