Avoiding back pain at the floor loom

This is an issue close to my heart, as I have a lower back injury. Over my years of weaving, I’ve had to find the best ways to avoid pain while being able to indulge in as much weaving as possible.

The more time you spend thinking about and implementing comfortable weaving, the more time you will be able to spend actually doing it into the future.

Firstly I’m going to talk about seating.

There are a few important factors here. Generally, a regular chair cannot be used for weaving on a floor loom, so we have to look at the best suitable alternatives.

So, what are these alternatives?

Most floor loom manufacturers also make weaving benches that can be purchased separately but are made specifically for your loom. Benches can be very pricey.

I’ve seen some weavers seated on exercise balls for threading the loom, which allows you to get very close to the shafts – I don’t intend to try this myself, but it’s another option.

I have been fortunate to find the perfect seating option for me. I use an adjustable, padded piano bench. Let me tell you why I love this option:

1. It’s height adjustable.
   
   An adjustable bench is important because it allows you to adjust your seated height to suit the loom. Your posture at the loom is crucial to your long term back health. Your elbows should be able to rest on the front cloth beam without you having to raise them up. Your hips should be higher up than your legs (like they are when you’re driving a car) because otherwise you’re going to have to exert more pressure when treadling and then – hello back pain!

2. It has ample seating space.

When I was looking at buying a weaving bench, all I could think when I saw commercial weaving benches is “they obviously weren’t built for weavers with generous lower proportions!” The piano bench accommodates my… ahem… ample behind (🙈) very well because it is wide enough, but not so wide as to be a difficulty.

3. It’s padded.

I can’t imagine sitting on a non padded bench, ouch. If you can get something with padding built in, that is better because you don’t have to contend with it slipping around. 

4. It has 4 legs.

This is really useful for the threading stage, as I can angle the bench so that two legs sit inside the front of the loom, allowing me to be closer to the shafts and therefore putting less strain on my back.

If you purchase an adjustable piano bench, try to spend a bit more to get good quality. I did not do this, and am constantly having to tighten bolts because the bench is not as stable as I would like. Eventually I’ll invest in a good one!

Also, don’t get the cheap, fold out piano bench. I do have one of these for my kids to use at the piano, and it’s surprising strong, but you want a bench with four legs, as I already mentioned.

Now let’s discuss some other tips and strategies for keeping your back pain free at the loom.

If you already have pain:

• Firstly, if your lower back is on fire REST IT! I can’t stress this enough. Do not sit at that loom again until your back has settled down, you will only make it worse. I know it’s hard to take a break but it really is necessary.

• Take anti inflammatories if needed, use ice or heat – whatever works for you to get your back moving towards normal again. If you’re using medications due to a flair up, do it sensibly and in consultation with a medical professional.
  
• If your flare up does not settle down, you may need to see someone who can help you. This may be a chriopractor, a physical therapist, a masseuse – there are options to try and you don’t have to suffer alone!
  
  As you weave:
  
• Try to move a little or shift your weight from side to side as you weave rather than keeping your body really rigid – follow the shuttle with your body, especially if it’s a wide warp.
  
• Throw and catch your shuttle in a way that is not causing you to raise your arms unnecessarily or at weird angles.
  
• Get in close to the loom. The closer you are, the nearer your reach. You can also naturally brace yourself against the breast beam to beat.

Treadle positioning:

A couple of years ago we bought a new (secondhand) van following an accident where our existing van was written off. The new van was the same company and make as the last one, but was a slightly updated model.

As soon as I began driving the new van, I noticed a difference in the height of the accelerator. The new accelerator was so much higher than the old one! I had to lift my foot higher to depress the pedal. And, guess what? Yep, the hip pain started up and is still a problem. I try to limit my driving, but when I do drive I use cruise control as much as possible so that I’m not having to lift my right foot so much.

My point? The higher you have to lift your feet to operate your treadles, the more stress you will place on your legs and ultimately, your back. If your treadles are very low to the floor (as they are for my floor loom) you will not have that stress on your body.

You may find that older looms not only have treadles sitting high, you also have to depress them quite firmly. If you do have an older loom, I recommend looking at any modifications you can do to get those treadles lower to the floor.

Take regular breaks.

It’s tempting to stay in the weaving groove and forget about time, but breaks are necessary. Get up, walk, stretch. Don’t sit at the loom for so long at one time that you feel sore and stiff when you get up. Anticipate the stiffness (even set a timer if you need it) and be kind to your body by resting it.

Batching tasks:

This goes hand in hand with the last point on taking breaks. Plan out your project so that you can batch tasks.

For example, if you’re threading for a full width project, unless you are Speedy Gonzales, you have to expect that the threading will take several hours. Plan to do a certain amount at one time or on one day. Make an agreement with yourself like: “Today I will aim to thread half of this project, taking regular breaks. If I start to experience pain, I will stop or only do a quarter of the threading”. You’re still making progress, but you’re not overdoing it.

Another example: “I will aim to make my warp today, dress my loom tomorrow, do half of the threading the next day and the second half the following day etc”. Break the tasks down to keep them achievable. You may end up doing more than you planned because you are pain free, but the point is to have a plan in place.

Accept bodily limitations:

This is a hard one! I’m sure we all wish that we were completely fit, healthy and pain free. But we need to be realistic and accept that we are not perfect. Accept the physical limitations you may have and don’t push yourself beyond them. Work with what you can do and make that your focus.

Sit up straight!

Did you ever here those words from your mother at the dining table? Well, she was right! 😆 You want to sit naturally, not rigidly at the loom, but you also want to keep your back nice and straight. If you find yourself slumping often, go back and check the seating points I discussed. It may be that your bench is not at a correct height.

Overall loom posture is really important. Remember – elbows on the breast beam, hips higher than knees, back straight!

I hope this post has been helpful to you. I have made a companion video so you can see just how I sit at my loom. You can view that here:

If you want to get started in floor loom weaving, my Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving course is perfect. It takes you through step by step processes to give you the confidence to get weaving!

Want to know more about my floor loom? Check out my review by clicking here.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Do you have any helpful tips to add? Any questions? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!