1 2 3 4 Nutrition Operations AdministrationOperations, Communications & EmployeeProfessional Health, Marketing Safety & Wellness 3450 » to your credit Making the grade in your profession

By Beth Roessner Who’s Got Your Back?

» Human backs are incredible structures designed to support our everyday tasks. Here’s how to keep yours healthy.

Composed of muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks and bones, the human back is a complex structure that is essential in supporting the body and enabling everyday movements. But because it is composed of so many intricate parts, the back is susceptible to aches and pains of varying intensity. Thankfully, most is short-term, but the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that nearly 80% of adults suffer from at some point in their lifetimes. In fact, after headaches, back pain Earn 1 CEUC is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States. in the designated Because back pain is so prevalent, back back health can be something easily neglect- Key area maintenance is paramount. That means eating a ed. After all, the work environment—frequent and Key vitamin-rich diet, practicing proper lifting tech- standing, continual lifting, bending over work Topic Code niques, performing strengthening and stretching surfaces, carrying heavy and awkward items—is noted above exercises and chatting with your doctor about not particularly conducive to keeping someone overall health. For foodservice workers, however, injury-free. Plus, these daily tasks take a toll by

www.schoolnutrition.org | SN | 157 the vertebrae in place and attach mus- PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT: LIFTING 101 cles to the spinal column. There are three major spinal ligaments (the liga- mentum flavum, anterior longitudinal ligament and posterior longitudinal lig- ament), which are strong, fibrous bands that help prevent excessive movement of the vertebral bones. The two main muscle groups that affect the spine are the flexors and ex- tensors. Flexor muscles are in the front of the body and include the abdominal muscles. Thanks to these muscles, we are able to flex, bend forward and control the arch of our lower back. The extensor muscles, which are attached to the back of the spine, allow us to stand and lift objects. The itself is incredibly intricate and vital for human life. With- The advice is 100% true: Lift with your and not your back. Whether you’re out a spinal cord, you wouldn’t be able lifting a box of heavy, frozen beef patties or jugs of cleaner, exercising proper lifting to move any part of your body, and techniques can ensure you keep your back pain- and injury-free. your organs would cease functioning. » Place your feet about -width apart to create a wide base of support. It’s hard to believe that an 18-in.-long » Squat down bending at the and knees only. If you need extra support, put cord that is no wider than your one on the floor and the other knee in front of you, bent at a right angle. is that important. Consider it the » Grasp the item firmly with both . “information super-highway” that relays » Practice good posture by staring straight ahead. Keep your back straight, chest messages between the brain and body. out and down. The brain sends motor messages to the » Lift yourself upward slowly by straightening your hips and knees—not your back. limbs and the rest of the body, which Do not twist your back as you lift—keep it straight. enables movement, while the limbs » Hold the load close to your body, at about the level of your belly button. and body send sensory messages to the » Take small steps. brain. (Touch a hot stove burner? That » Lead with your hips as you change direction and ensure your shoulders are in line message from the is transported with your hips as you move. to the brain via your spinal cord.) Any » Set down the load carefully, squatting down with knees and hips only. damage to the spinal cord could result in a loss of sensory or motor function. With that basic anatomy lesson, you can better understand and appreciate weakening the muscles and ligaments Traveling down the middle are the how crucial it is to keeping your back in the back. For optimal quality of life, vertebrae, the 33 interlocking bones and spinal column healthy in a tough everyone—not just those who work in that make up the spinal column. Only foodservice work environment. kitchens, on the serving line or in ware- the top 24 are moveable, while the houses—should focus on maintaining nine vertebrae of the sacrum (the base BACK AND FORTH back health. that connects with the hips to form For foodservice workers, a back injury the ) and the coccyx (the tail- could be one bad lift away. But occu- BACK TO SQUARE ONE bone) are fused. Each has a pational risk factors are not the only Let’s do a quick anatomy lesson: small hole in the middle to create a dangers. Other factors in developing Located on the posterior part of a per- channel that surrounds and protects low-back pain include age, fitness son’s trunk, the back is composed the spinal cord. In between each level, pregnancy, weight gain, genetics of bones, muscles and other tissues vertebra is space for tiny to and even mental health. The back can located from the down to the emerge from the spinal cord, and suffer from numerous different injuries pelvis. While the spinal column is the pads of spongy cartilage (known as and issues, but the most common are centerpiece, as it supports the upper intervertebral discs) help maintain those that result from a torn or strained body’s weight and protects the spinal this space and allow for flexibility in ligament or muscle. These strains can cord, the rest of the back is equally the lower back region. happen suddenly or develop over time. important. Ligaments and tendons help hold What’s the difference between a

158 | SN | June • July 2019 SAVE A and a ? Strains occur when STAMP! a muscle is stretched too far and tears. 3 A sprain happens when over-stretching Administration » the test and tearing affects ligaments. These in- Employee Health, You can take this juries could result from lifting a heavy Safety & Wellness test online and 3450 pay by credit card. object, sudden stressful movements, poor posture, sports participation Go to: www.schoolnutrition.org/OnlinePDAs and exercise. These often don’t cause “Who’s Got Your Back?” long-lasting pain, but the immediate, Completion of this test, with a passing score, acute pain can be quite severe and will count as 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) in debilitating. Even those with stationary jobs, who sit at a computer for most Key Area 3, Administration, Code 3450. of the day, could still experience pain (Please Print) problems—especially if you have poor Name: ______posture or sit in a chair with inade- SNA Member Number: ______quate back support. Address: ______Chronic low-back pain—that which occurs in a sustained fashion for more City / State / Zip: ______than three months and exceeds the Email: ______body’s natural healing process—could be the result of a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, a joint 1. Nearly _____ of adults suffer from low-back 6. Those who sit at a computer most of the pain at some point in their lifetimes. day are at negligible risk for developing back dysfunction, spinal stenosis (the nar- n 100% pain. rowing of the ), spondy n 80% n True n False lolisthesis (when one vertebra slips n 75% over an adjacent one), (com- 7. _____ can cause chronic lower back pain. n 50% pression of the sciatic ) or other n Sciatica issues. Less-common causes of lower- 2. There are _____ individual vertebra that n Joint dysfunction back pain include infection, compose the spinal column. n Tumors stones, tumors or even an autoimmune n 24 n All of the above disease. n 30 n 33 8. When viewed under a microscope, a When pain occurs in the lower back, healthy bone resembles _____ . n 36 it’s associated with the lumbar region n an asteroid of the spine. While upper-back pain is 3. Ligaments are fibrous bands that help hold n a pizza not as common, because the spinal the vertebrae in place. n a honeycomb movement in that portion of the back n True n False n none of the above is incredibly limited, pain can occur anywhere from the bottom of the neck 4. The two main muscle groups that affect 9. Aches and trembling are signals that your the spine are called _____ and _____ . bones are weakening. to the bottom of the cage. n extendors and flextors n True n False n extension and flexion NO BONES ABOUT IT n extensors and flexors 10. Contracting your _____ can help to improve your posture. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that n latissimus dorsi and erector spinae affects more than 200 million individ- n uals worldwide. It’s a condition that 5. Strains occur when the ligaments are n deltoids occurs when the body loses too much over-stretched or torn. n biceps bone, makes too little bone or a com- n True n False n all of the above bination of both. Bones become weak, and a simple fall—or even a mighty sneeze—could cause a break. Osteopo- TEST COMPLETION & SUBMISSION DETAILS rosis predisposes affected individuals To earn 1 Continuing Education Credit (CEU) toward SNA’s Certificate/Credentialing programs for this professional development article (PDA) test, you must achieve a passing score and the issue date to chronic low-back pain, and women (June/July 2019) must not be older than five (5) years from your Certificate/Credentialing period. A max- imum of three (3) PDAs per year is allowable for SNA’s Certificate in School Nutrition program. There is no are four times more likely than men to maximum of passing PDAs for those with the SNS Credential, submitted within the three-year period. develop osteoporosis because of their To pay by check: Mail this completed form before your expiration date. Include $11 (SNA Members) or $17 (non-members) for processing to: SNA, Attn: PDA, PO Box 759297, Baltimore, MD 21275-9297. lighter, thinner bones, as well as their Do not send cash! longer life spans. Women over age 50 To pay by credit card: Pay for and take the test online at www.schoolnutrition.org/OnlinePDAs. are at the highest risk. Processing fees for tests completed online are $9 (SNA Members) or $15 (non-members). Due to administrative costs, refunds will not be made for any reason. When viewed under a microscope,

www.schoolnutrition.org | SN | 159 a healthy bone looks like honeycomb. 1.5 million older Americans break a and medications. A boost of vitamin D But for someone with osteoporosis, the bone as a direct result of the disease. and calcium through foods or supple- honeycomb shapes become larger, cre- Losing height—actually getting ments can help protect your bones and ating weaker bones. About 54 million shorter—is a sign that you may have aid with overall bone health. Exercise Americans have osteoporosis or low osteoporosis, because the spinal bones and weight-bearing activities like walk- bone mass (which puts them at risk for are often the first affected by the ing, running and weightlifting help to the disease). You can’t feel your bones condition. Diagnosis can also be made maintain bone density, as can quitting weakening, so osteoporosis can sneak through a bone density test. While smoking. Talk with your doctor to learn up on you. Breaking a bone can often osteoporosis cannot be reversed, it can more. unearth this condition—and every year, be managed through lifestyle changes BACK IN THE SADDLE Although back pain is common and associated with the inevitable aging process, problems can be alleviated, managed, prevented and even (sometimes) reversed, through a combination of methods. One effective way to prevent back injuries is to stretch regularly. As you stretch, you improve flexibility and loosen up tight muscles. This practice helps prepare the muscles and joints for extended periods of physical exertion, as well as for sitting and standing. Throughout your workday, sprinkle in stretch breaks to reinvigorate the muscles and work out any kinks. Proper posture matters, too. Keep your head in line with your shoulders and keep your shoulders in line with your pelvis. Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks, while ensuring your weight is evenly distributed on Much like fruits and vegetables, you know the your feet. Cushy shoes or cushioning difference that fresh products can make. That’s why we make mats will help alleviate stress on the back. our hot dogs using wholesome ingredients. Whether your students are enjoying a juicy beef frank, or experiencing the PAT ON THE BACK great avor of our turkey franks, you can be condent that they The workplace-related consequences are eating the highest quality out there. Let us show you what of back pain and problems can be ex- a freshly made frank tastes like. tensive—loss of time and productivity, more serious injuries, risk of perma- nent injuries and worker compensation claims, to name a few. In fact, worker CN Labeled Franks: compensation claims from non- Jumbo • Grill • Turkey construction laborers in 2017 totaled Turkey Beef • Beef more than 64,400—the largest number in private industry occupations. As the back is critical for everyday function— not just for workday tasks—it is imper- ative to practice healthy habits now, before back pain starts to creep up. SN 1 (888) KUNZLER [email protected] Beth Roessner is senior editor for www.KUNZLER.com School Nutrition. She can be reached at [email protected].

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