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Most often kept in the private offices of our physicians and the hearts and minds of our loved ones are the physical and mental health challenges a wood flooring professional must endure. I've had three major knee surgeries and one back surgery, all before age 40. Today I have rotator cuff issues, and my knees are slowing me down. I have several benign soft tissue tumors in my lower back, which my surgeon said are likely the result of herniations caused by using a floor edger repetitively. Most of my physical issues are directly related to being a flooring contractor (40-plus years of soccer wasn't much help, either!).
Jennifer Hale, O.T.
Many wood floor contractors are constantly navigating ways to stay healthy in order to not only keep their flooring careers going but also be able to still run a few down-and-outs with their grandkids at family picnics. Back strain from edging, carpal tunnel from the big machine, even upper and lower body strain from a floor buffer begin to pile up. Whether operating or simply moving and lifting equipment, the stresses can take their toll. With Jennifer Hale, a Washington, D.C.-area occupational therapist and specialist with close to 30 years of expertise, in this article we are exploring how to perform the work of a wood floor pro while maintaining our health, for years, regardless of age. Let's hear directly from her:
Wood floor pros: 'industrial athletes'
Wood flooring mechanics are what we call "industrial athletes"! You are an industrial athlete, performing something repetitively just like a baseball player throws a pitch. As wood floor contractors, you should think this way, as your work can be equally, or, in many cases, more physically demanding than the work of various athletes. You need to prepare just as much for physical success and reducing injuries as those athletes do.
'Hard zones'
"Hard zones" are work-related situations that are physically demanding and could cause injury. They are typically part of the job and unavoidable—things like running an edger or nailing in a floor. I'm not going to tell you you can't run an edger, but I will have you do specific stretches before, during and after, and I'm going to ask you to "chunk it up" by creating movement breaks throughout your day. Ideally, I want you to have a partner on the job, rotating in and out—that's the best way to physically perform the process and avoid lengthy repetitions. Work smarter, not harder. I understand a floor contractor can do it all—I just don't want you doing it all at once!
If you do work alone, it's even more important to take breaks, stretch and take your time. Use lifting belts, dollies, slings, ramps, wheels and casters to move heavy things. Lift properly, bend properly, and purchase tools and equipment with ergonomically better design.
RELATED: Keep Your Wood Flooring Body Working Well
Finding the real cause
Injuries involve your ergonomics (how you move in your working environment), your posture and the activity. A lot of it is simply how you carry yourself.
For example, if you don't maintain your posture and your strength through your shoulders, your shoulder blades and your back, or what we call your foundation, that foundation becomes weak. That makes you bend and use more torque and force to perform an activity through various body parts like elbows and wrists.
This is where the strain begins, because you're not using the right mechanics in your larger muscles to sustain and perform that activity. So if you're having wrist issues, yes, we need to strengthen your forearms to help your wrists and your elbows and to strengthen your grip, but really, if we want to break the cycle and keep you healthy, we have to do upper back exercises to strengthen your shoulders.
When you have knee issues, or even lower back issue, it's because your butt muscles, and even your hip muscles, are weak—they're not stabilizing you. Then you're hinging forward and putting more stress on your back and your knees.
So a lot of this is understanding some of the exercises you need to do to help you perform better by being stronger and more stable through your core and your posture.
'Follow the chain'
Both OTs and PTs use the phrase "follow the chain"—understanding how the body moves through a kinetic chain, or the way the body moves.
Everything is like a movement chain, whether you're playing an instrument or sanding a floor. For example, your leg. Start with your toes and work all the way up to your lower back. That's one chain. From your fingertip all the way up, that's the chain. You have to look at all the links in that chain if you want to feel better. You can't just say, "We'll treat the wrist." We look for injuries, weaknesses and imbalances up the chain. If you can lift something, but not with your palm up, well that's a different set of muscles. Is that your supinator, your bicep, anterior deltoid … What are those muscles doing?
The work capacity evaluation
A "functional capacity evaluation" is where the patient goes into a facility that has just about every piece of equipment that's used by a firefighter, a police officer, or, in this case, a wood floor mechanic. The equipment will mimic what someone might be lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling. We use these tools and simulations to take someone through about half a work day to see exactly what they do when they work. Once we have that capacity evaluation, we create a "work hardening program," which is basically a fancy name for making a plan to condition you to be able to work an eight-hour day. Both OTs and PTs work in a functional capacity and work hardening setting.
Figuring out 'modalities'
We look at the tools used, the body mechanics, weights, lifting, stretching, strength and the limitations for the work a flooring contractor is doing, and then we use "modalities," which are anything that helps facilitate healing, including heat, ice, massage, dry needling, E-Stim (electrical muscle stimulation) and more. All these tools can speed up healing on muscle tissue and soft tissue such as nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.
Training and recovery—without pain
When it comes to training and recovery, you want to go low and slow: low reps and low weight done slowly. The rule of thumb is to have no pain during the exercise. I'm only going to let you do, for example, five wrist curls in a position, and it has to be pain-free. If after the first reps you have pain, you have to lighten the weight. If you can do that for a week, then we'll increase the weight, or move on to a harder exercise. Whether in training or in recovery, progressing slowly, pain-free, and "chunking it up," as we like to say, you move forward but never doing the same thing the next day. The body needs recovery time.
Critically important: hydration and nutrition
A caveat to all of the other advice in this article is that you need to pay attention to your hydration and nutrition in order to perform all day as an industrial athlete.
Oftentimes we also don't get the nutrition we need to prepare our muscles, tendons and joints to be successful, because we're always eating on the go. We have to make sure we're eating a balanced diet that has more vegetables and protein, which feeds your muscle tissue, your tendon tissue and your joint health.
Something that breaks us down and causes inflammation is sugar! Sugar is in everything, and we eat way too much of it. We flock to drinks that have sugar, dyes and fake sugars in them, which are the leading cause of inflammation. When you're trying to get rid of achy joints, you have to watch what you are eating.
Other things that don't help with tissue healing are smoking and alcohol. They make our liver have to work harder. When you're smoking and drinking alcohol, you're not getting healthy oxygen and blood flow to your tissues and your limbs, and therefore, you're restricting healing.
When it comes to hydration, that means fluids. It doesn't have to be water, but water is the healthiest, best, and most pure way of hydrating. If you're having problems with hydration, it may not just be an issue with fluid intake. Your potassium, calcium, sodium and electrolyte levels could be way out of whack. They all contribute to a chemical exchange within our muscle tissue needed to contract and release, and to stretch and become flexible. And this balance is off more as we age, so it pays to have your bloodwork done to check.—J.H.
How to age well as a wood floor pro
When discussing how an older wood flooring contractor can continue to do the work, what we are often talking about is the ability for muscles to stretch and repair. As we age, some minerals and fluids are not as abundant as when we were younger. Things like potassium and sodium levels are not processed the same, as well, or as efficiently—we don't absorb nutrients as well as we used to—so adjustments have to be made.
No matter if the topic is heart health, brain health, weight loss, decreasing pain/inflammation or recovering from an injury, the advice is this:
1) Improve your sleep
2) Decrease stress
3) Hydrate
4) Exercise
5) Decrease sugar from your diet
To sum it up nutritionally: Increase eating real food like vegetables, fruits, lean meats and nuts. Decrease packaged foods, alcohol and fast foods. Read food labels and focus on decreasing sugar to only 12 to 20 grams a day (I know, I know, don't hate the messenger!). If that sounds too drastic, start by reading labels and taking baby steps.—J.H.
Wood floor pros: What ails them?
WFB asked followers on Facebook: Do you have issues with any of the following that you believe are caused by your work as a wood flooring pro?
The top problem areas they listed were:
1) Back
2) Knees
3) Hearing
4) Hands
5) Shoulders
6) Respiratory issues
7) Mental health
8) Hips
Some comments from them:
Kevin Daniel All jokes aside: mental health—it's stressful work.
Joseph Revord Brain function—using poly and alcohol-based finishes definitely affects your brain. That stuff is deadly!
David Butler I used to be a couple of stone heavier; now I'm down to 160 and all my knee and back problems disappeared. I don't do any macho "two bags instead of one " stuff and I try to work a five-hour shift when possible.
Jeff Marlow I sanded for 20 years, carrying in the OBS and the 504 Clarke and the wood and 5-gallon cans of finish. First I got my left shoulder replaced, then my lower lumbar fused, the last was my cervical fusion. I quit at 62 and just turned 69.
Michael Schuetz My knees are often sore now. Back in my 20's I would install hardwood without knee pads (knees were cooler without them on). Plus, it was uncomfortable nailing the wood with them on. Now I always have a kneeling pad where I'm kneeling down. Plus I have hearing loss, mostly from background noise, I believe. I'm 45 and wear hearing aids.
Chris McElroy I got both of my knees replaced a couple years ago. I cannot stress enough the importance of kneepads. I have plenty of sinus Issues, but going to dustless systems has been a much better workplace environment. I do know 18 years of putting on Synteko, usually without a respirator, did not help.
Geoff Overton I've been in the game over 43 years and have normal issues for my age, but am still fit and active and do circuit training four to five times a week. I won't deny that my feet hurt after a big sanding job, though.
Alex Frey My right hip is really the only thing that bothers me.
Ron Teljeur Overall pretty good *knocks on wood* for being 60. I am guessing my high blood pressure has something to do with stress.
Angelo DeSanto I'm in it for the long run, so I take care of my "tools" by not lifting the big machine by myself, for example. Wearing knee pads, dust masks and eye protection are just basic armor that extends our service life.
Jason Vivash Obviously eating well and regular stretching and exercise help our bodies handle the stressors. Genetics definitely plays a big part in how our bodies react to the physical, and environmental (dust and chemicals) stress of being an installer/sander/finisher.
Brian David Schultz I started at 18 and developed a bad knee by 24 or 25—some kind of arthritis/worn cartilage that flares up when things are busy.
Alex Franklin I have a blown-out disc in my lower back that is pushing on my sciatic nerve because of all the bending over edging and installing.
Teddy Dibiazi My feet are shot, my knees are shot, I now have hearing aids. My back and neck are shot from my helper crashing my truck, and my doctor says my prostate cancer is from inhaling solvents. Moral of the story: have employees do the work and get off the floors after a few years, not 30 years (like me).
Alberto Salinas I put heart and mental health because you have so much time in between coats that you go eat out and all that steak and lobster is terrible for your heart and cholesterol. And this job is pretty stressful. I know nobody ever walked on an electrician's fresh wires!
Rob Raw Carpal tunnel syndrome put an end to my sanding career after 15 years.
Body preservation practices
WFB asked followers on Facebook: Do you work out/do any specific strength training/stretching/yoga etc. (besides everyday wood flooring work) to help preserve your body?
Some of the things wood floor pros do to stay in shape:
Mike Somodean I'm in the gym every morning.
Ken Ballin I do Insanity every morning and yoga every night when I get home. Yoga stopped me from being in pain all the time. It's a game changer.
Darin Grimes I go to Camp Gladiator, an outdoor workout three times a week and try to get to the gym three times a week. Saturday mornings I run at least 3–4 miles or more with a 20-pound weighted vest on, thanks to my nephew who was in the military. I really wish I would've started taking care of myself earlier in life, but it's never too late to get out there. I have noticed a big change on the job site.
Gregory Brown I've been doing floors since I was 8 or 9 years old, but in my free time, I'm a certified Les Mills Body Combat & Body Pump instructor and was a spinning instructor for 12 years, along with racing bicycles and cars.
Jorge Perez I hike with my Dobermans daily and do a good 5-minute stretch in the morning.
Leonard A. Hall I ride a bike for cardio and leg strength; that really comes to play when belt sanding and standing for hours on a multi-head or buffer. I stretch for a few minutes before each activity, particularly edging. I do core three times a week, mostly for the bike but it does transfer to work, so no back pain from being bent over or twisting.
Pat Goodman Hip flexor stability and core strength are a must for any health-conscious floor covering tradesman. Besides basic stretching, most of my exercises are all calisthenic, low-resistance body-weight-based. Using the app FitCoach helps me stay organized with my workouts.
Erick Pilier I mountain bike (MTB) once or twice a week, enduro, downhill and sometimes cross country. This trade takes a toll on you both physically and mentally so it's imperative for me to unplug and enjoy the great outdoors on my bike. Especially as someone who works on their knees, I find being able to stretch my legs very rewarding.
Stephen Si Le Winter: snowboarding, summer: biking, skateboarding, hunting and fishing, fall: vacationing, spring: yardwork and gardening.
Boston Floor Sanders I do a bit of cycling and some kettlebell work, especially squats and Romanian dead lift. Diet helps too: low carb and sometimes keto/carnivore. That made the aches and pains disappear. I'm 64 going on 35 and still feel like I could do it for another five-plus years.
Aaron Schaalma I do weight training and stretching. I also eat a more anti-inflammatory diet and have regular bloodwork.
Tadas Sadunas Weight training.
Jim Hyde Stretch in the morning, cool down with beer in the afternoon.
Benny Powell Daily stretching, multiple times, throughout the day, breathing exercises, outdoor time, beach and golfing for mental wellness! Supplements and herbs! Core strengthening for my bad back! Retirement investments for mind and body wellness. There's nothing worse than working hard all your life just to be broke!
Michael Devriendt Running 10 kilometers three times a week.
Greg Warren Gym to stay in shape for the job. Walk 2 miles a day. Ride a bike. Main thing is to learn to lift no more than 25 pounds. on the job. Use hand trucks and ramps. It takes more time, but it pays off. I wear a waist stretch belt for the core whenever working. I'm 72 with no chronic pain issues—that's because of the above measures.
Real wood floor pro:
David Sharpton Jr., age 36
Wood Floor Revival (Jakin, Ga.)
Years in the trade: 19
"My body definitely feels at least 10 years older. I can edge longer than big machining; that messes with my back if I do it too long. I try to stay physically active (motocross helps and hurts). My dad is hurting at 66—he has nerve/disc damage in his back. He still exercises to try to combat the pains, but he's getting ready to call it quits soon."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
For both Dave and his dad: stretch, take movement breaks, hydrate. For Dave's father, go to physical therapy. They can do a lot for lower back pain before medications and surgical fusions. Try different modalities like dry needlework. Isolate the muscle imbalance that's causing the stress on the back. It's likely tight hamstrings, weak glutes, weak lower abs. We don't have activities throughout our day that work those core muscles, so over time, they get weak. Through a focused PT regimen, he can avoid further damage and begin healing.
Real wood floor pro:
Tom Ourada, age 55
Ourada Designs
(Nine Mile Falls, Wash.)
Year in the trade: 15
"At 55, I feel better in shape than I did when I was younger. I have an 8-minute stretch routine I try to do every day. I do a 12-minute core routine and four sets of pushups, and a 3-mile hike (with 30 pounds) alternating with running (without weight) three times a week. I try to keep my weight consistent, and I've cut back on sugar to help stave off dementia. Every other year or so I strain my back, and that makes working harder than it already is. Taking the big machine or the Trio up or down stairs is always a concern, as is loading a house with many bundles of wood."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
The key to protecting your back is flexibility and core strength. This is what I like about Tom—he's practicing that regularly. I love when people read a lot of the literature that's out there about how sugar has a significant effect on our overall health in so many ways. It affects inflammation in our joints, in our brain and in our organs.
Real wood floor pro:
T.J. Haas, age 36
Mad Science Flooring (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Years in the trade: 23
"I am quite short and stocky. If there was ever anyone built for this, it's me. I don't stop much physically. I do prefer to work on my knees than to bend over. My hands are terrible—I can't hold much anymore. Every few years, I send my back into a spasm and have to take a week or two off to recover. When it comes to machines, mostly I have problems with buffers: gripping handles and handles not getting low enough for me to run comfortably. I don't nail floors anymore because I can't grip a mallet for too long. I do have a mallet with a ball end and a loop so I don't accidentally lose it."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
I really like the fact that he uses the "split kneel" approach—that will save your back a little. But then you have to make sure you have really pro-quality knee pads with the framed, corrugated support (they're a must, knee problem or not). Again, don't stay in that position too long, move around and stretch. With grip and hand issues, see a hand specialist. You lose strength in your hands as you get older, but TJ can get that strength back. This is where an OT may be a bit different than a PT; we would show TJ tools with modified handles, and maybe special gloves to absorb vibration. An OT can look at the ergonomics of what he is dealing with and change some things.
Real wood floor pro:
Matt Garcia, age 43
Craftsman Hardwood Flooring
(San Angelo, Texas)
Years in the trade: 25
"When I lived in California, I was an avid surfer and in great shape. When I moved to Texas, I gained weight and saw a decline in my health. I have lost weight and started to get some additional exercise, and I feel great again. I've had a few temporary bouts of back pain—some from improper lifting and, believe it or not, from stress. I took a mental and spiritual approach to reduce stress, and my back pain has been greatly reduced. I also got ramp door trailers, lift gates, machine and furniture handling equipment (like air sleds and specialized dollies or carts). That, in combination with proper lifting techniques, has been great for injury prevention for me and my crews! "
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
When you carry extra weight on your frame, you're putting extra stress on your joints and your body. Weight management is important to all of us, especially when you are doing a very physically demanding job. Mind-body is a very strong thing—it is amazing just how much stress, anger, depression and sadness affects how we breathe. When you're stressed, you hold your breath or take shallow breaths, which means you are not getting good oxygen through your body. People often really do not know how to take a good, full-cycled breath: Five to six seconds in through the nose, hold for 5-6 seconds, exhale slowly through the mouth 12 seconds.
Real wood floor pro:
Clinton Duff, age 58
Woodchuck Flooring Inc. (Toronto)
Years in the trade: 38
"I stay fit with some league soccer two times per week and occasionally some basketball. For my therapy, I see a chiropractor on the regular, and my daughter's in the medical profession. I watch my diet and also my posture, and she gives me exercises to maintain. Fortunately for me, I have not had any significant work-related injuries, which I attribute to being physically fit. That Galaxy big machine is a beast first thing in the morning to lift. The repetitive procedures, when done correctly, can help to maintain a healthy career."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
Clinton is a perfect example of the fact that if you practice healthy habits, you can do this work for a long time. He's proactive. Whether you're seeing an OT, PT or chiropractor, you're have a health professional keeping an eye on you. If they see something not in their wheelhouse, they'll send you to the right person. Good on you, Clinton.
Real wood floor pro:
Tim Garnham Jr., age 40
Contractor in Eastman, N.H.
Years in the trade: 25
"A body in motion stays in motion, so even while I'm relaxing, I try to move with some low-impact activities. Golf is great because it's not too physically demanding and it helps me shift my mental focus away from work! My L4 disk slipped when I was 22 (I attempted to move a toilet), and PT was the only remedy. Since then, I have a strict stretching routine each morning to get ready for the day's demanding tasks. All these job functions and machines are a concern physically! I'm fortunate to offer a diverse range of labor to my customers, so I'm not doing the same thing to my body every day. Everything in moderation is the key to success. Leisure time is mandatory."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
L4 L5 is exactly where our lower back hinges, and when your body is off-center, you've increased the "moment arm," which is the length between a joint axis and the line of force acting on that joint and in the weight of your body. Basically everything above L4 and L5 is 80% of your weight, and when you've taken that off-center you've essentially doubled or even tripled that, so whatever you are carrying off-center now puts all that load onto L4 L5. And it doesn't take much to strain that region. Tim is doing exactly what we talked about: chunk up your activities to make sure you're doing different things every day and eliminate repetitive straining movements.
Real wood floor pro:
Jessica Peterson, age 44
Contractor (Beaverton, Mich.)
Years in the trade: 12
"The only injury I've had is a torn rotator cuff. I did eight weeks of PT and deep tissue massage, which, in my opinion, made it worse. Installing all day was rough, but I think the worst was edging for long periods of time … but staying active seemed to help a lot. Also, ibuprofen was a big part of my diet."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
I've gone to deep-tissue massages, chiropractors, and PTs and left saying, "That was awful!" Like any profession, there are people who cut corners, and then you get people who look at the whole picture and individualize your care. Unfortunately, with the way our services get reimbursed, a lot of therapists give you a watered-down version of what they might normally want to do with you. Regarding Ibuprofen, It is effective on inflammation, but over time it will tear up the stomach, so take it with food if you do take it.
Real wood floor pro:
Cash Pyle, age 45
Fourth-generation pro
(Modesto, Calif.)
Years in the trade: 30
"I exercise two to three times a week in the home gym (pull-ups, push-ups, rings, barbell, dumbbells and mobility training). I watch my food intake and limit carbs and bad fats. I eat high-protein foods and eat meals in order: greens first, protein second, and carbs last. I get a massage every now and then. I tried cold plunges for a bit but kinda fell off the wagon. I hurt my back lifting the big machine wrong and am still not right from it. I can't edge for very long or nail before my back starts seizing up with intense pain. But I have an edger dolly, and with that I can edge all day long. I think the biggest concern for wood floor pros is protecting your back when being bent over on the edger or lifting heavy equipment. Use ramps and use help to break machines down. Get an edger dolly and protect yourself for the future."
O.T. Jennifer Hale:
Wow! A+ for Cash! Listening to people talk about the big machine that you guys are lifting and carrying … as an OT, I want to go back to the manufacturers and ask, can't we redesign this? As it is, I hope everyone takes Cash's advice to heart and practices safe lifting/using ramps etc. to prevent the kind of injury he mentions.
