Have you ever moved? Leaving your old home to start anew somewhere else? Whatever your answer may be, we all agree that moving is not the easiest thing to do in this world. In fact, it is a rigorous process. You allot months of planning, packing, and cleaning to ensure that when the day comes and you finally need to leave your home, nothing will be left behind and everything is spick-and-span. As you pack all your things and you start moving from one place to another though, it is not uncommon to suffer from some basic injuries because of the extra strain and stress on your body. While some of these maybe relatively easy to treat, it is infinitely better to always go by the old saying – prevention is better than cure.
Common injuries that you may encounter when moving and the prevention methods
- Bruises – When you get busy and pressured from packing, you often become unaware of your movements, one moment you’re being careful not to hit something, cautiously calculating your moves and actions, and then all of a sudden, you are rushing from one place to another. You might hit yourself with something from too much moving around, arranging one thing after another, and then you see yourself with purple bruises afterwards. Ouch! Always remember to be mindful of your surroundings especially when carrying big objects that may obstruct your vision to avoid these little painful things.
Prevention :
In case you get bruises though, make sure to apply ice over them to reduce swell and inflammation. You can apply a warm compress after a day or two to increase blood flow for faster healing.
- Muscle Pain – This one is totally obvious and very common when packing. Too much walking from one room to another, bending over to get and pack something on the floor, lifting heavy boxes and stretching just to reach something on your cabinets could strain your muscles and cause you pain.
Prevention:
Stretch before you start packing and repeat it once in a while so that the blood flow in your muscles is fluid and the motion in your joints is maximised. This way, you are preventing possible muscle pain and soft tissue injuries that you might encounter when your muscles become tight from too much effort. It is also helpful to eat bananas to avoid the more painful cramps.
- Fatigue – You exhaust all your effort and energy when you’re packing. As mentioned before, packing involves months of preparation and execution, and there’s no wonder that you may feel too tired during or after the process of moving. You might feel tiredness emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Prevention:
To combat this, you might need to stop once in a while. Take a day or two without packing to rest and unwind. If you really need to continue to work, you can do little tasks every now and then. Instead of filling out big boxes, why not sort some of the smaller stuff? It might not be a big task to accomplish in a day but at least it’s a step forward on your list of to-do. Make sure also that you are well-hydrated during the process. Staying hydrated helps your body function better and faster.
- Fracture – When a sudden movement puts pressure on a part of your body that your bones cannot support, you might suffer from fracture. Fracture can happen anywhere in your body – wrist, arm, leg, you name it.
Prevention:
To avoid suffering from a thin crack or a broken bone in your body, you have to be careful with your movements and apply only the pressure that your bones can support. When something is too heavy for you to carry, ask for help. When something is too high for you to reach, instead of jumping around to try and reach it, climb up a ladder instead to reach it. This way, you are not only saving yourself from possible fractures, you are also saving yourself from unnecessary stress and efforts.
This list can go on, and there are still a lot more injuries that can be encountered when packing and moving – from very mild injuries to more serious ones. The bottom line is, however, whether or not you have an experience in packing and moving, you cannot deny the fact that these injuries might happen to you or your loved ones during the process. Although they might be prevented and avoided, you can save yourself from the hassle and possible risks by hiring a professional mover. They are well-trained, well-prepared, and well-educated when it comes to packing and moving your things. You will not only save yourself from physical risks, but you will also save yourself from all the stress that packing can give you. You will also have more time to yourself to go through everything and plan for your next steps moving forward.
