Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Weatherley on March 26, 2010, 10:04:43 pm
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Bad back? how many carpet cleaners are suffering with constant back problems (like me)? I have been cleaning carpets for about 7 years now and think my back problems are not helped by continuous repetative movements and lifting the porty in and out of the van all day.
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I did mine in a few months ago and had to crawl around the house. It happened when I tried to lift my Alltec Advance Triple Vac within a confined space, as some idiot parked too close to the back of my van... ::)
Everything's good now (touch wood!)
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Could be bad posture as opposed to what you do.
Could be referred pain.
Could be a tumour in your spine.
Doing this job keeps you more supple than sitting at a desk and being stressed.
If you are seriously worried see your doctor and don't get fobbed off.
Roger
PS I speak from experience on all the above points.
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Go to your local gym and see an instructor, tell them your job and related problems and they will work out a routine for you. My local gym has recently helped me out with stretching exercises rather than weight lifting or bodybuilding. They said because of our job we become tense especially in the back region so stretching unused muscles is good.
It has worked for me in a very short time :)
He said I was as strong as an ox but my back was as tight as a nuns arse..... Not sure if thats good or bad ;D
Also said while wanding to bend knees, will try...
All the best,
Jason.
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I get trigger finger,really bad pains in my wrist (i broke when i was 18,was said i might have probs in later life) and carpet blindness,looking at yards of the same colour carpet,eyes start to go
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Go to your local gym mate, you'll be surprised what a fitness instructor can advise.
All the best,
Jason.
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I go regular to gym (3 times per week) plus swimming. It's a degenerative problem. Gym helps but it's the repetitions and trauma of lifting the machine. Answer is don't over do things. If you are too busy then employ.
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Go see a good chiropractor about £35.... money well spent !
;)
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Dont have a back problem wanding.
If you bending whilst wanding either you got the handle set too low or the wand is not long enough.
Lot of the time with a glide fitted I can wand one handed standing upright - makes the job look to easy to the customer though. :D
If I twinge a muscle in my back, like in lifting like Colin says, I go to a sports physio.
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ive had a bad back for years, wanding doesn't seam to effect it, its long journeys in the van ???
i just get the wife to walk up and down my back, all the cracking makes it sound like chinese new year but its heaven when she does it. ;)
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I too have had back problems for over 20 years. It is a serious problem for carpet cleaners as I would guess many have to give up the trade because of this.
I have found 5 ways to help myself:-
1. Every 4 weeks on a Saturday morning I have a half hour appointment with a physio. This costs me about £40. It seems to release any tension that is building up in my back
2. Acquired a ramp so no more lifting heavy portables into the van. Cost about £80 - 100
3. Turn down any job that involves moving portables up full flights of stairs. It's just not worth the risk.
4. Went to the specialist Back Shop in Marylebone and bought a back support for the van drivers seat. This is basically an extra seat and back support that puts you in a much better position in the van. Cost £107.
5. Always use a glide.
I had to start taking it seriously because I was heading for premature retirement from carpet cleaning. The above changes have made a huge difference and whilst I will still always have back related problems I seem to have them more under control.
Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk
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you got a link for that seat nige?
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Hi Derek,
Here is a link to the Back Shop and some of the solutions they offer for lumbar support. The one I have doesn't seem to be on the web site.
http://thebackshop.co.uk/products/category147.html
The only issue is that one size does not fit all. I parked my van outside and the guy ran in and out with various lumber supports. Some raised me up too high, others were uncomfortable for me. You need to try before you buy.
There may be a similar specialist shop nearer to you.
Good luck
Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk
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Derek,
Here is one in Birmingham:-
http://www.totalbackcare.co.uk/for-travel.html
Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk
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3. Turn down any job that involves moving portables up full flights of stairs. It's just not worth the risk.
Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk
I've had to do this recently.... 54 steps and no lift ??? There's no way I was risking it!!!!
Colin
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Go see a good chiropractor about £35.... money well spent !
;)
This....I only see mine about every 3 months (session in exchange for windows being cleaned) as long as I have no major problems which hasnt been for a while.
She gave me a series of stretches to do for about 5 mins every morning and evening and this seems to keep any problems at bay. The difference is noticeable if you get lazy and dont do them for a few days or so.
Simon
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Thanks everyone in particular Nigel for your responses. I have bookmarked the website for the back supports and will look into this further.
Also I have a twin jet wand from Ashbys. The wand has a 12 inch wide head. Which glide would fit?
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Go see a good chiropractor about £35.... money well spent !
;)
I must agree with this quote. Had back problems for well over 20 years, due to muscle spasms. Carpet cleaning made it worse and the back muscles could lock solid for a few days before easing off over a couple of weeks, but the chance of recurrence was always present. I had to be careful when lifting and couldn't allow my back to get cold or be exposed to draught.
Just over two years ago I had a particularly bad spasm whilst doing a job and only just managed to finish. For the first time I took time off work (three days) and needed Ibuprofen, Cocodamol and Diazapam, taken together just move about the house.
I recovered from this attack, but a couple of months later suffered another. I didnt want to take the medication again, so I went to see a Chiropractor. He took x rays and suggested a course of back manipulations. He fair crunched my spine a few times and I cancelled the course after 4 visits. I have now gone the longest period I can remember without any real back problems. I still get a bit of occasional stiffness but no spasms.
Dave.
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Like alot of you I suffered back problems for years even before getting into CC.
Then early last year bought a memory foam mattress, not suffered with any problems since.
Can't say for certain if my previous mattress was too firm or if the memory foam mattress has aided it but mattress firmness is something to consider.
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Good post Paul.
Couldnt afford a memory foam mattress, so got the memory foam topper and it works a treat.
They have fallen a lot on price now as well - can get a double for less then £100 - well worth it.
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Like Jason says its stress.
Spent £400 at Chiropractor last year slowimprovement.
I was crippled in Jan Doctor gave me those tablets you take before an op.
I completley relaxed better in a day I was walking around on cloud nine all inhibitions gone etc but problem is they are adictive so you cant take them for long
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I have suffered and had weeks off but I find that an excercise rourine helps loads only trouble now is that I get frozen shoulder and it hurts when I go running so i need to change to something else.Is this what happens when you turn 40?
Shaun
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I take a good quality cod liver oil tablet ,, works wonders for me.... That and using a buffer not one of those wand things!
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Ever considered a van ramp to load your porty onto the van ?
Was thinking about getting one myself.
They start at around £200....a lot cheaper than seeing chiropractors every week ;)
Google "Van Ramps"...theres loads of companies doing them !
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I have suffered and had weeks off but I find that an excercise rourine helps loads only trouble now is that I get frozen shoulder and it hurts when I go running so i need to change to something else.Is this what happens when you turn 40?
Shaun
Wait until you turn 50 Shaun, then the fun really begins ;D
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Ever considered a van ramp to load your porty onto the van ?
Was thinking about getting one myself.
They start at around £200....a lot cheaper than seeing chiropractors every week ;)
Google "Van Ramps"...theres loads of companies doing them !
I've got one, ironically, looking at the photo you've posted, it's the exact same one, fitted to my VW Transporter.
I must admit, it wasn't cheap, but it's been in the van over 6 years, so that spreads the cost and it certainly makes loading my machine and hefty rotary a damn site easier. :)
I'm hoping to be able to transfer it to my next van, later this year with any luck. :)
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and when you turn 60,Shaun, thats when the fun starts
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I have since day one used a ramp for my ninja,it's just a sheet of plywood, with edges, and a lip to grip bumper.
Cost around £20.00
also get to chiropractor or oesteopath if you get problems.
Lastly most van seats are rubbish(vw caddy ok!), get a support cushion if it helps.
Mr B
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Any advance on 60?
Shaun
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Ive just realised when you see carpet cleaners at events they are all smiling in reality its the back pain , somehow it eases the pain
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In my view I think that pushing or dragging a porty on a 30-35 degree angle on a ramp in to a van is worse for your back than just tilting it so the front wheels are on the van floor then lifting/pushing it in to the van, works ok for me.
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Agree on van seats. Whoever designed the seat on the new transit needs a new career.
Mark
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www.soreback.biz
Consider for a moment. If you have to keep going back for more treatment the cause of the pain is NOT being dealt with but it's good business for the chiropractor.
Consider again. Practitioners who studied and rejected chiropractic can resolve most back problems in one or two visits and teach you to maintain the correction without further visits.
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Yes I did begin to think it was a money making scheme.
In the end he got more out of me than I got for cleaning his carpets.
I also wonder how easy it is to get their Dr. Phd do they study at a uni for three years and complete a research paper after completing their first degree ie 6 years in total
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In Bournemouth is the main Chiropractic training school for Europe ,, it is not a university as such ,, just the size of a large school.
The amount of people I have met around and about with problems made worse by half trained Chiropractics is astounding.
Use your GP and get properly referred if you have back pian.
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Unfortunately your GP is likely to send you on the same endless journey I was on for over 4o years. GPs are General Practitioners not specialists and will refer you to Physiotherapy which is within the NHS.
Most Physios will produce forms of standard exercises for you to do at home if you're VERY lucky you might get a good " old school hands on " Physio who can actually cary out remedial Physiotherapy but there are few of them around.
In spite of dozens of opportunities over 40 years I was NEVER properly diagnosed until I came accross a gent who abandoned much of what he'd been taught and devised a simple method of diagnosing and equally simple method of treating BACK and REFFERED PAIN.
He restored my spinal flexibility / posture and gait in minutes. That was in 2004 and I'm still working at 65. Sure, I suffer from recurring pain due to uneven wear over some 45 years, but I can still do a 6 hour shift with barely a pause.
Check out this web site www.soreback.biz and e'mail if you have a specific problem at click4therapies@aol.com
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Forget chiropractors, they are better marketeers than we are, they will try and convince you that you need at least 6 sessions to sort your back out.
I put 2 discs out over 10 years ago lifting a particularly heavy carpet. I was lucky that my GP referred me to an osteopath and she clicked me straight back in.
My discs pop out every 18 months or so as there will always be a weakness there, so I phone the osteopath, she cracks me in, I have a day off and I'm right as rain until the next time.
Steve
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I agree with the memory foam option, although it was my wife who was suffering. We already had a top rated mattress but we got a new one with a built in fom topper and it literally worked overnight. I used to have a problem but now I only use my porty every Preston guild and the problem's gone. Mike
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Any advance on 60?
Shaun
Well Shaun, fun begins at 60? I'm getting really exited now I turn 64 on Sunday!
Dave.
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I am just 1 year and 23 days behind you Dave.
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Robert
Did you see this guy or read his book?
No offence but its like Joe Polish for back problems. His type of marketing dosent instill much confidence IMO but I am open to new ideas.
Mark
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I am just 1 year and 23 days behind you Dave.
Joe whats your get out plan
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I am not going yet Ian! hopefully another 4 years yet.
No strong get out plan.
What my business will be worth on the carpet cleaning side will not be mush.
I have no commercial contracts, no maintenance plans, not got a massive customer base as I have only been serious about c/c for the last few years.
So will sell my stuff basically.
The other side of the business, domestic cleaning, may bring in a few thou - nothing big.
State pension at 65, 2 years 1 month away, and private pension at the same time from when I left North West Water (United Utilities to the young wippersnappers).
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Hi
Had a prolapsed L5 disc in march 1999. Spent 6 weeks on the floor, took 500 cocodamol painkillers and crawled everywhere.
Finally got semi upright but my muscles were paralysed down the right side where the fluid had leaked onto my nerves.
Tried physio but after 15 sessions not much improved. Went for deep tissue massage which is when things really started to improve, did that for a year, 2 sessions a week, Started swimming and doing exercises in the water, started with 5 lenghts of a 15 metre pool, within a month was doing 100, had twinges over the years but since I started doing power movements in the gym it has really improved my back and have been pain free with no issues for a few years now.
Something that helped more than anything in the weeks after getting upright was Ginger 500mg capsules, this stuff really, really helped, it's a powerful anti inflammatory.
Regards
Martin 8)
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So many varying causes of back problems, it really is a case of what works for you.
A customer in her late 60's, that I go to at least once a year, developed a bad back. A year later she could hardly move around the house and had to sit in a certain position to get any relief from the pain. She was under the care of a private consultant etc etc, and was told it would progressively get worse.
The following year, I expected her to be bed ridden or similar, so was surprised when she answered the door looking 10 years younger.
I asked how she was and she replied that she was fine, and had no back problems. It turned out that six months earlier during the summer, she had been lying on the carpet looking out at her garden and saw that some flowers required 'dead heading'.
She took a chance and managed to get out onto the lawn and lay on a small piece of carpet, reaching to snip the flowers. She did all along the back garden.
The following morning she was surprised that she no pain getting out of bed and could dress herself without trouble. In short her back problems had gone. Obviously due stretching whilst seeing to her flowers. Her consultant couldn't believe it.
She has continued with a stretching regime and has suffered no further problems to date.
Dave.
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Mark
It's called MARKETING and like him or loathe him J P is a millionaire!
Dave
Back pain is almost without exception caused by muscles " pulling "when they should be " relaxing " It's just a case of someone determining which muscles need strengthening to achieve a correct balance.
When the spine / pelvis is out of alignment the alignment has to be corrected before working on smple muscle strengthening exercises
What your lady achieved is what chiro's and osteo's achieve frequently NOT by ability in many cases but by accident.............but they won't admit that to their patient !