The Wall Street Journal discusses the increase of at home injuries due to the pandemic according to HSS physiatrist Carlo Milani, MD, MBA and others, related to renovation projects, exercise and more. 

“I’ve seen neck strains, rotator cuff injuries, low-back strains,” said Dr. Milani, as well as “lumbar disc injuries, cervical spine disc injuries, pinched nerves in the neck, pinched nerves in the lower back.”

Dr. Milani has also seen injuries from lifting and moving heavy boxes. He teaches patients how to lift heavy items properly and how much weight they can safely lift. He advised to focus on keeping weight close to the body and centered between the legs. “Focus on squatting with hip-hinging motion rather than having whatever you’re lifting out away from your body and just bending at the waist,” instructed Dr. Milani.

Additionally, Dr. Milani explained a patient who used to do yoga and Pilates took up running for the first time. Instead of easing into it, she ran too much and developed a stress fracture in her hip. He suggested starting slow with a new exercise routine. “Make sure you can do the exercises correctly before you progress to being able to do it for a prolonged duration,” noted Dr. Milani. If you feel pain during a workout, stop. “Your body is telling you something. You’re probably not doing it correctly,” he added.

Read the full article at WSJ.com.