As an EMT, injuring your back is unfortunately very common. In most cases, back injuries are caused by improper lifting techniques and lack of support. Because moving patients is part of the job, you need to learn the right way to do it. In this quick read, we’ll dive into proper lifting techniques to ensure you’ll never injure your back while lifting or moving a patient. Let’s jump right in! 

1. Don’t lift from the floor

Utilize your ambulance system to prop and lift patients. Lower and lift the height of your gurney so you don’t have to make your lower back do all the work. If you must lift up a patient, bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight and lift with your glutes and legs— not with a curved back! When moving a patient from a bed, utilize bed sheets to assist with the lift. 

2. Collaborate with your partners and other EMS professionals. 

Did you ever hear the statement “team work makes the dream work?” It definitely applies to EMTs lifting and moving patients. Be sure to work closely with your team while moving patients. Their extra support will make moving a patient light years easier. All hands on deck when it comes to lifting patients. 

3. Don’t rush through lifts.

Lifting a patient too fast while out of sync with your partners is no bueno. If your partner is in a bad lifting position, give them a moment to get into a better one. Do a countdown to be in sync if you must.  For loading a patient into the truck, make sure there are two people there to load the patient into the cot.

Hurting your back is a pain in the butt…literally. Let us know how you’ve treated your EMT back injuries in the comments below. We look forward to hearing how you powered through it.