Lifting (squat & stoop) & Posture

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Despite the well-recognized role of lifting in back injuries, the relative biomechanical merits of squat versus stoop lifting remain controversial. In vivo kinematics measurements and model studies are combined to estimate trunk muscle forces and internal spinal loads under dynamic squat and stoop lifts with and without load in hands. Measurements were performed on healthy subjects to collect segmental rotations during lifts needed as input data. Results tell us that passive (muscle or ligamentous) forces and internal compression/shear forces were larger in stoop lifts than in squat ones. These were due to significantly larger thorax, lumbar and pelvis rotations in stoop lifts. So it is advocated squat lifting over stoop lifting as the technique of choice in reducing net moments, muscle forces and internal spinal loads (i.e., moment, compression and shear force).
Role of posture in static lifts:
Despite the recognition of the contributory role of lifting in spinal injuries, the advantages of preservation or flattening of the lumbar lordosis while performing lifting tasks is not yet clear. Role of changes in the lumbar posture on muscle forces, internal loads, and system stability in static lifting tasks with and without load in hands was studied by a group of researcher.
The study:
Kinematics of the spine and surface EMG activity of selected muscles were measured in 15 healthy subjects under different forward trunk flexion angles and load cases. Apart from the freestyle lumbar posture, subjects were instructed to take either lordotic or kyphotic posture as well.
This study revealed:
In comparison with the kyphotic postures, the lordotic postures increased the pelvic rotation, active component of extensor muscle forces, segmental axial compression and shear forces at L5-S1, and spinal stability margin while decreasing the passive muscle forces and segmental flexion moments.
So the study concluded that alterations in the lumbar lordosis in lifting resulted in significant changes in the muscle forces and internal spinal loads. Spinal shear forces at different segmental levels were influenced by changes in both the disc inclinations and extensor muscle lines of action as the posture altered. Considering internal spinal loads and active-passive muscle forces, it is recommended that the freestyle posture or a posture with moderate flexion as the posture of choice in static lifting tasks.

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