Allow me to regale you with a quick anecdote about my moving experience this season. I tried in vain to maneuver my oversized couch up four flights of narrow, crooked North End stairs. With the help of my brother, we angled and shimmied the couch until we came to the unfortunate realization that the heavy piece of furniture would not budge another millimeter upwards. And then it came crashing down on my toe.

After a day or two of limping and an unsightly bruise on the largest digit of my right foot, I couldn’t help but speculate that many of Greater Boston’s movers were experiencing the same blunt and painful instances. Moving can be a clumsy experience, after all, in that the size and scope of various pieces of junk can be awkward to navigate out the front door – let alone, up a few flights of stairs.

So to help people avoid the same trials and tribulations of moving that I’ve endured, I consulted a few professionals.

I consulted a physician from CareWell Urgent Care about how to avoid, and treat, some of the potential inflictions that often result from moving. Whether it’s a crushed toe, jammed finger, pulled muscle or an oozing laceration, there are plenty of ways to avoid getting hurt, and even more ways of rehabilitating it.

CareWell Urgent Care’s Dr. Olivier Gherardi provided us with a few suggestions that I recommend you heed when trying to transfer the contents of your life from one living space to another. Thomas Jefferson once said, “the art of life is the art of avoiding pain,” so if you’ve any inclination to becoming a celebrated patron of moving and of life in general, here’s what you should do:

Lifting

• Get as close to the item that needs to be picked up as possible, spread feet apart (about shoulders width) for added support, bend at the knees not at the waist, keep abdominal  muscles tight, and pull back up using your leg muscles.
• Never attempt lifting and/or carrying something that is obviously too large or too heavy for one person.
• Use common sense and avoid lifting heavy boxes; you are better off lifting multiple smaller loads than one large one.
• Try to pick up boxes from waist height not off the floor.
• Get assistance, go slow, take breaks, stretch before doing a job and a few times while doing the job.
• Use dollies, whenever possible.
• Visit an urgent care facility or hospital if pain after lifting is severe, if there’s any numbness or tingling down a limb or around saddle region (groin and buttock area), any abdominal pain accompanies the back pain, or if you experience a sudden inability to hold bladder.

Crush injury

• Remove finger or toe carefully after lifting up crushing object, not by pulling digit out.
• Apply ice: 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off.
• Get checked if pain is severe, digit looks swollen or deformed, or if any bruising or discoloration appears under the affected nail.

Laceration 

• Run wound under water, then apply pressure with a clean facecloth or towel.
• Keep pressure on wound for at least 5 minutes, avoid sneaking a peak during that time.
• If bleeding persists despite adequate pressure, get evaluated; it may necessitate repair.
• Remember that you only have a limited amount of time to get a wound closed with stitches or surgical glue.  If you are unsure whether it needs stitches, get it evaluated anyway.  Timely attention will insure better healing, better cosmetic result, and a lessened risk for further bleeding or infection.
• Make sure your last Tetanus shot is up to date; call your primary care provider if you are unsure.

Heat stroke

• Make sure you drink plenty of fluids (avoid alcohol and caffeine), take breaks whenever possible in well ventilated or air-conditioned areas.
• Stay away from direct sun, especially, or more so, during the hours when the sun is brightest (10AM to 2PM).
• Wear loose-fitting, natural-fiber clothing.
• Wear appropriate sunblock if exposed to the sun, at least SPF 15 and reapply often as needed.

Image via Shutterstock/Warren Goldswain