BODY MECHANICS CHAPTER 23

BODY MECHANICS As a PSW, many of your daily activities include lifting, moving, transferring and carrying. Your number one priority as a support worker is personal and client safety when transferring, moving and positioning. Back injuries are very common among health care workers. Knowing the proper techniques and using your body correctly will ensure your safety as well as the client’s safety.

BODY MECHANICS Body mechanics refers to the movement of the body in an efficient and careful way. It involves: Good posture Good balance Using the strongest and largest muscles for work. (shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs)

BODY MECHANICS Good body mechanics reduces the risk of injury. Body alignment (posture) is the way the body parts are positioned in relation to one another. Good body alignment: Lets the body move and function with strength and efficiency Reduces strain on the muscles and joints Prevents injury

BODY MECHANICS Good body alignment includes: (SEE PG. 434) Erect and straight head and neck Parallel shoulders and hips Shoulders back Chest out Straight spine Abd tucked in Knees slightly flexed Arms hanging comfortably Feet shoulder width apart Toes pointed forward, one foot slightly forward

BODY MECHANICS The position of your feet is very important, they provide your base of support. Base of support is the area on which an object rests. A wide base of support provides stability and balance.

BODY MECHANICS BODY POSITIONS FOWLER’S POSITION – sitting position SEMI-FOWLER’S – semi sitting position SUPINE – also called dorsal recumbent, is the back lying position PRONE – front lying or lying on the stomach LATERAL – side lying position SIMS – left side lying position c Rt. leg flexed and Lt. arm along the back SITTING – sitting in a chair, w/c etc

BODY MECHANICS THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU MUST MAKE SURE OF BEFORE YOU TRANSFER, POSITION OR LIFT! Brakes are on wheelchair, bed or mechanical lifts The bed is at a proper working height The side rails are down, but only on the side you are working on!

SKILLS Guidelines for good body mechanics pg 435 Turning the person Applying a brief Providing a bedpan Logrolling the person – pg 441 Raising the person’s head and shoulders Moving the person up in bed – pg 439 Moving the person up in bed with a lift sheet Moving the person to the side of the bed Helping the person sit at the side of the bed & dangle- pg 451 Transferring a person to a chair or wheelchair – pg 462