Raya Season Injuries: Common Pains During Festive Preparations

Scrubbing floors until your knees ache? Weaving ketupat until your fingers go numb? Stirring rendang for three hours straight? Every year, Malaysian physiotherapy clinics see a spike in patients the week before and after Hari Raya – all from the preparations meant to make the celebration perfect.

Spring Cleaning: The Most Common Culprit

The tradition of deep cleaning the entire house before Hari Raya is a cherished part of Malaysian culture, but it is also the leading cause of festive season injuries. Many families spend entire weekends scrubbing, lifting, and rearranging, often without proper preparation or technique.

Back strain from lifting furniture: Moving sofas, cabinets, and dining tables to clean behind them is a recipe for acute lower back injury. The most dangerous moment is when you twist while carrying something heavy.

Always bend at the knees, keep the load close to your body, and avoid twisting your spine. Better yet, slide furniture on old towels or cloths rather than lifting it.

Shoulder pain from reaching high shelves: Cleaning ceiling fans, wiping the tops of kitchen cabinets, and washing high windows all require sustained overhead reaching. This position compresses the rotator cuff tendons and can trigger impingement syndrome. Use a stable step ladder to bring yourself closer to the work surface rather than stretching on your toes.

Knee pain from scrubbing floors: Kneeling on hard tile floors – common in Malaysian homes – to scrub grout or polish surfaces places enormous pressure on the kneecaps. Use a thick cushion or gardening knee pad, and alternate between kneeling and standing positions every 10 to 15 minutes.

Ketupat Weaving and Repetitive Strain

Weaving ketupat is a beloved Raya tradition, often done communally with family members sitting together for hours. However, the repetitive finger and wrist movements involved in folding and interlocking the coconut palm leaves can cause significant strain. The sustained grip and fine motor control required can lead to symptoms resembling carpal tunnel syndrome or de Quervain's tenosynovitis, including tingling, numbness, and pain along the thumb and wrist.

To reduce risk, take a 5-minute break every 20 to 30 minutes of weaving. Gently stretch your fingers wide, then make a fist, repeating 10 times.

Rotate your wrists in circles both directions. If you feel tingling or numbness, stop and rest until symptoms resolve completely.

The Cooking Marathon: Rendang, Kuih, and More

Preparing Raya dishes is a multi-day affair in many Malaysian households. Standing at the stove stirring rendang for two to three hours, rolling and shaping kuih, and lifting heavy pots all take their toll on the body.

• Prolonged standing – causes lower back compression and leg fatigue; use an anti-fatigue mat and shift your weight between feet regularly
• Stirring rendang – the repetitive motion strains the shoulder and forearm; switch hands every 15 minutes and use a long-handled spoon to reduce reaching
• Rolling kuih – sustained wrist pressure from using a rolling pin can aggravate the flexor tendons; keep your wrists in a neutral position and press through your palms rather than bending your wrists

Hanging Curtains and Decorations

Replacing curtains and hanging Raya decorations involves overhead reaching, often while balanced on a chair or stool. This combination of unstable footing and shoulder strain is particularly risky.

Falls from makeshift platforms are common during this period. Use a proper stepladder with a handrail, have someone spot you, and avoid reaching beyond arm's length – reposition the ladder instead.

Body Mechanics Tips for Every Task

Regardless of the specific preparation activity, these principles will protect your body throughout the Raya season:

• Warm up before starting heavy cleaning with 5 minutes of light movement and stretches
• Break large tasks into 30-minute blocks with 5-minute rest intervals
• Alternate between tasks that use different body parts – switch from scrubbing floors to wiping windows
• Stay hydrated in Malaysia's heat, especially if cleaning without air-conditioning
• Ask for help with heavy items – Raya preparation is a family activity, so distribute the workload

Quick Stretches Between Tasks

These stretches can be done in your kitchen or living room between preparation activities:

• Cat-cow stretch – On hands and knees, alternate between arching and rounding your back, 10 repetitions, to relieve lower back tension
• Doorframe chest stretch – Place your forearm against a doorframe at shoulder height and gently lean forward to open the chest after prolonged forward-leaning tasks
• Standing quad stretch – Pull one foot toward your buttock while standing, hold 20 seconds each side, to counter the effects of prolonged kneeling
• Wrist flexor stretch – Extend one arm forward, palm up, and gently pull the fingers back with the other hand, hold 15 seconds, to relieve tension from weaving and cooking

Balik Kampung Driving Pain

For many Malaysians, the Raya preparations culminate in a long drive home to the kampung. Hours spent on the PLUS highway, often in bumper-to-bumper traffic, compounds the physical strain of the preceding days.

Adjust your car seat so your knees are slightly higher than your hips, use a rolled towel for lumbar support, and stop at R&R stations every 90 minutes to walk and stretch. Arriving at your hometown pain-free lets you truly enjoy the celebration with your family.

Struggling with Back Pain? A physiotherapist can assess your condition and create a personalised recovery plan. Chat with a physiotherapist near you