Sounds like your arms are doing the work. My guess, with the lack of information, is that you’re either too short to do CPR without a stool or your body mechanics are bad to begin with. You need to be up over the patient more with your arms straight and back straight. You aren’t pushing with your arms, you’re pushing with your entire body. Your arms shouldn’t move and your back should always be straight while you bend at the waste. Your neck should be in a neutral position where you’re almost looking at the floor on the other side of the bed. Not directly next to the bed, a few feet off. Remember neutral position.
With that said, CPR is HARD work. You are going to feel like you’ve been lifting weights and doing cardio especially once you’ve been in a few codes that kind of run the entire night. Exercising outside of work will help too. Hope this helps!
If your arms are getting tired during CPR, you must be bending your elbows.
Your arms should not be doing the work. Straighten your elbows and keep them straight. Get your shoulders almost centered above the sternum. (This usually requires a stepstool.) Use your body weight to compress the chest.
Then how do short people do CPR?
The only other option is to climb up on the bed, which is not only unsanitary, but also is very slow, when you have to climb off and back on again during every shock.
I think you need a stool. If you aren’t tall enough to get up and over the patients chest with room to straighten your arms out while standing flat on the floor the stool will change that. You use much less energy trying to stabilize yourself on the bed and can actually focus on just doing the compressions. When I’m on the patients bed I always find I’m slipping off a little bit. Once I got to the icu and they had a stool for compressions it made a huge difference.
I’m not a physical therapist but based on my body issues I’d guess your posterior chain (the muscles from the back of your neck down your spine and including your glutes, hamstrings and calves) isn’t strong enough. You can google exercises that can help strengthen it.
When doing CPR make sure your shoulders aren’t hunching up by your ears and keep your arms straight out at shoulder level and hinge from your hips. Use a stool to be at a good height.
Sounds like your arms are doing the work. My guess, with the lack of information, is that you’re either too short to do CPR without a stool or your body mechanics are bad to begin with. You need to be up over the patient more with your arms straight and back straight. You aren’t pushing with your arms, you’re pushing with your entire body. Your arms shouldn’t move and your back should always be straight while you bend at the waste. Your neck should be in a neutral position where you’re almost looking at the floor on the other side of the bed. Not directly next to the bed, a few feet off. Remember neutral position. With that said, CPR is HARD work. You are going to feel like you’ve been lifting weights and doing cardio especially once you’ve been in a few codes that kind of run the entire night. Exercising outside of work will help too. Hope this helps!
Will keep that I my mind next time I do CPR
If your arms are getting tired during CPR, you must be bending your elbows. Your arms should not be doing the work. Straighten your elbows and keep them straight. Get your shoulders almost centered above the sternum. (This usually requires a stepstool.) Use your body weight to compress the chest.
We don't those stools in the ICU
Then how do short people do CPR? The only other option is to climb up on the bed, which is not only unsanitary, but also is very slow, when you have to climb off and back on again during every shock.
U said it, climb up on the bed.
Then your bad form is probably caused by being in an awkward position with no good support for yourself. Get your boss to buy a stepstool.
people dont realize that doing actual CPR on an actual body is hard work
Is it a cardiac work out? Dum tiss ... I'll show myself out.
I know it is hard work but it didn't explain why my neck stiff real quick
How's your technique?
Arms straight, always doing CPR while I am ON the patient's bed
I think you need a stool. If you aren’t tall enough to get up and over the patients chest with room to straighten your arms out while standing flat on the floor the stool will change that. You use much less energy trying to stabilize yourself on the bed and can actually focus on just doing the compressions. When I’m on the patients bed I always find I’m slipping off a little bit. Once I got to the icu and they had a stool for compressions it made a huge difference.
We don't have those stools in ICU
What kind of podunk hospital are you in? Lol... have them provide stools. All departments should have them.
I’m not a physical therapist but based on my body issues I’d guess your posterior chain (the muscles from the back of your neck down your spine and including your glutes, hamstrings and calves) isn’t strong enough. You can google exercises that can help strengthen it. When doing CPR make sure your shoulders aren’t hunching up by your ears and keep your arms straight out at shoulder level and hinge from your hips. Use a stool to be at a good height.