Attention pilots w/back problems

[Pat Fabin]

Yeah, 2 pages and very minimal thread creep. Pretty amazing.

BTW, I'm only 33 so you whippersnappers better stay strong!

-PF

 

[UALjan15]

It always used to just burn me every time I got a company or ALPA sponsored article about saving your back while flying. Each and every one emphasized the importance of "lifting your flight bag with your legs" and not your back. While in theory this advice is fine (and so obvious), it never helped me much while shlepping my bag around the back of the seat in the 737. I challenge anyone to "lift with their legs" while performing this maneuver. Eventually, I hurt my lower back...probably due to carelessly/quickly moving my bag in or out.

Here is my "learned-the-hard-way" method for saving your back during this maneuver:
1) Carry your bag in and lower it to the floor as close to your seat back as you can get it without bending over (lower it down with your legs)
2) Position yourself behind the seat with your back parallel to the ground and your left arm/shoulder braced on the seat back for stability (right arm/shoulder for the left seat)
Note: Skyye Candy, you may have problems fitting your arm onto the seat if your "endowments" get in the way.
3) Lift your bag as if you were doing a dumbell row at the gym--you're using your back muscles, but the pressure is off your spine and onto your shoulder, which is the key
Note: Skyye Candy, at this point your "endowments" are probably hanging down around the top of your flight bag, so you may require some assistance holding them up and out of the way. I've always been willing to help out here.
4) Keep your support arm in place until you've got the bag into position

As for back pain treatment, I found some good stretches and exercises in the book "Treat your own back" that I bought at the Relax the Back store. Also, I was under chiropractic care for about a year. It really helped me when I was in pain, but the Doc kept wanting me to come back even when I was pain-free. Eventually I stopped after the returns diminished, but I would go back if the pain returned.

I think the best preventative program is to keep your core strong with a focused core exercise program, and then religiously avoid awkward twisting movements under load (like the flight bag routine). Good luck.

 

[JediNein]

I forgot to mention that a reduction surgery may be medically sound and thus partially covered by health insurance if the knockers are too big. Face it guys, those with big boobs can have big neck and shoulder problems.

Why didn't Dow make HELIUM breast implants? Big, but they carry their own weight!

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein