Bad Posture and Back Pain

When you aren’t maintaining good posture, various musculoskeletal structures are subjected to more labor and stress than they’re actually designed for. This is why people with poor posture who experience back pain often have stiffness and soreness at their necks, shoulders, and hips. 

The musculoskeletal system is a complex and perfectly organized arrangement of structures that work seamlessly together. When properly aligned and held the correct way, each structure works perfectly with all others. With poor posture, multiple functions can suffer, and multiple structures can sustain harm.

Common Bad Postures that Cause Back Pain

Sometimes bad posture is simply a failure to remain cognizant of your body and its position. In other instances, it may be the result of existing, developing, or even progressive conditions such as scoliosis or osteoporosis. Many times bad posture is caused by insufficient strength in the lower abdominal muscles. These core muscles support and oppose the spine. When they aren’t strong enough, the lower and middle back can be tasked with doing more work than they actually should.

Bad posture can look quite different from one person and activity to the next. However, there are five basic types of posture that a person can maintain. These are:

• Healthy posture 
• Kyphosis or maintaining excessive curvature of the thoracic spine (upper back)
• Hyperlordosis (swayback) in which the pelvis and hips are tilted sharply forward 
• Flat back or maintaining minimal curvature of the lower spine
• Forward head posture where the head is craned over the shoulders

The Results of Cell Phone Use on Your Spine

Most people are spending long hours hunched over computers, or with their necks craned over tablets, smart-phones, and other hand-held devices. The longer that you use your smartphone, the more severe the resulting signs of musculoskeletal distress will become. With poor posture, cell phone use has an incredibly detrimental impact on the spine and its alignment. Moreover, studies show that given the vast number of ways in which spinal alignment affects a person’s general health, prolonged cell phone use can have a negative impact on anything from your breathing to how the various organs in your body function.

Slouching in a Chair

Unless you’re upright at your work desk, powering your way through different tasks, sitting is probably considered a time for complete relaxation. People with tired, aching bodies often look forward to their favorite, comfortable chairs at the end of the day. As soon as they flop into them, nearly all of their muscles relax, and all thoughts of maintaining good posture abate.

Slouching in a chair, however, will often lead to back pain. Depending upon how you bend your body, and which muscles you under-work or over-work, slouching can also result in considerable discomfort at the hips. 

Two Types of Posture

Although posture is commonly associated with how we hold our bodies while sitting or standing, there are actually two primary types of posture. These are dynamic posture and static posture. When you’re essentially still or engaged in sedentary activities, you’re holding static posture. When you’re walking, running, dancing, bending, or engaging in lifting activities, this is your dynamic posture.

For both posture types, the key to avoiding injury and ensuring good balance, fluid movements, and minimal discomfort is making sure that your spine is properly positioned. There are three natural arcs or curves in your spine. These are found at the lower back, the mid-portion of your back, and your neck. Whether sitting still or moving, good posture will maintain these curvatures, rather than over-straightening or deepening them. 

Maintain Proper Sitting and Standing Positions

Good standing posture will help you breathe better. It can also give you a boost of confidence. Stand up straight and tall, pull your shoulders back to open your chest, and draw your abdomen in. Not only will you feel and breathe better by doing so, but you’ll also create an instantly slimmer-looking physique. You should generally keep your feet spaced about a shoulder’s width apart. Keep them firmly on the floor, lightly relax your needs, and let your arms and hands fall naturally down by your sides.

Sitting correctly is a bit more challenging given that your sitting posture is reliant upon both you and upon the type of chair that you’re using. Adjust your desk chair so that you can always sit with your feet placed firmly on the floor. Whether sitting in an armchair or working at your computer, don’t slouch. Look for chairs that offer adequate support at the lower lumbar spine, and always try to maintain an upright position while seated.

Try These Exercises to Improve Your Posture

The best move that you can make towards consistently good posture is simply becoming more aware of your body and exercising. Also, try not to spend your entire work day sitting without getting up and moving around. Taking breaks during long periods of sitting or standing will give you regular opportunities to assess and correct your posture.

• Correct bad posture: One of the easiest ways to assess and correct both your dynamic and static posture is by making sure that your head is positioned above your shoulders (rather than drooping in front of them), and that your shoulders are positioned in direct alignment with your hips. If these two points check out, all three of the natural spinal curves will invariably be maintained.
• Develop muscle strength: If poor posture can be attributed to insufficient core muscle strength, consider adding a few high planks to your normal workout routine. A high plank looks a lot like the top of a push-up where your hands are on the floor, your body is elongated, and you’re balanced on the tips of your toes. Holding this position will engage and strengthen your lower abdominal muscles so that they can provide additional support to your spine and your normal movements. 
• Try this stretching exercise: When your back feels too stiff and sore to hold a natural, healthy position, try stretching out in a child’s pose. This relaxing pose looks a lot like a prayerful position. Sit down on your shinbones with your inner thighs and knees touching. Then, bend your body over your knees and stretch your arms out in front of you. As you do this, make a concerted effort to keep your bottom pressed into your heels or as close to them as you can get it. This stretches and elongates the spine, and makes maintaining good posture a bit easier.

At Healing Hands Chiropractic, we’ve got many ways of alleviating posture-related pain. We also have postural correction services, and therapies for promoting improved posture for those with chronic and progressive conditions. Get in touch with us today to get an integrated, needs-specific plan for alleviating your back pain, and for restoring balance and alignment across your entire musculoskeletal system.

The post How Can Poor Posture Result in Back Pain?  appeared first on Healing Hands Chiropractic.

Why Get Chiropractic Adjustments?

Doctors of chiropractic often try to remove vertebral subluxations in the spine. These subluxations are misalignments in the spine that compress and irritate nerves. When the spine is compromised, the body’s nervous system cannot function as it should. Since the nervous system controls every single function in the body, it’s crucial to have it working at its best.

There are many causes of vertebral subluxations. Common causes include:

• A vertebra becoming misaligned due to a slip or fall
• Poor posture
• Joint swelling
• Inflammation in the body due to poor diet, stress, or other factors
• Degenerative changes in the spine
• Tight back muscles or trigger points pulling the spine out of alignment

Vertebral subluxations can have negative impacts on your health. They may lead to headaches, back pain, allergies, TMJD, athletic injuries, and more! Do not let your life be run by these spinal misalignments. Chiropractic can help!

8 Researched Benefits of Chiropractic Care

1. Sciatica

In a recent study done by the European Spine Journal, chiropractic adjustments had a 72 percent success rate in treating sciatica. Physical therapy only had a 20 percent success rate, and corticosteroid injections had a 50 percent success rate.

Most modern medical treatments treat the symptoms of sciatica pain, not the cause. Chiropractic identifies the source of sciatica pain and treats it. Dr. Dee  at Healing Hands Chiropractic will identify what subluxations are causing your sciatic nerve pain and treat them with spinal manipulations. This is a safe, natural, and effective way to combat sciatic nerve pain at its source!

2. Low Back Pain and Neck Pain

The British Medical Journal published a study in 2003 of 183 patients with neck pain. Participants were randomly chosen to receive chiropractic care, physiotherapy, or see a general practitioner over the course of a year.

The clinical results showed that chiropractic adjustments lead to faster recovery than both physiotherapy and general practitioner care. It also showed that the total costs of patients treated with chiropractic care were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics studied patients suffering from low-back pain. Their findings showed that patients with chronic low-back pain who were treated by chiropractors saw greater improvement and patient satisfaction after one month of treatment, than those treated by family doctors.

3. Headaches 

Headaches are one of the most common ailments treated by chiropractors. There have been over 230 peer-reviewed articles that showed chiropractic’s ability to help prevent and treat headache pain. In fact, chiropractic care even helps reduce the frequency and severity of headache and migraine pain!

One group trial found that of the 22 percent of patients treated with chiropractic, they saw a 90 percent drop in their number of headaches. 49 percent also said their headache and migraine pain was reduced.

4. Colic and Ear Infections

In 2012, the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments reduced colic symptoms. Dozens of studies also report a link between chiropractic adjustments in kids, and reduced frequency of ear infections.

Birth and childhood are both very active and physically demanding processes! It makes sense that kids would suffer from subluxations that could lead to their nervous system not functioning as it should. Treat your child’s colic or ear infections with chiropractic.

5. Blood Pressure 

George Bakris, a leading expert on hypertension, published a study in 2007 on chiropractic care and blood pressure. In the Human Journal of Hypertension, his study proved that just one upper cervical chiropractic adjustment had the same impact as two blood pressure lowering drugs. Even more, the effects of one adjustment lasted more than 6 months!

6. Surgery Prevention

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published its low back pain guidelines. These guidelines recommended that those suffering from back pain should seek chiropractic care before resorting to surgery.

7. Frozen Shoulder

A recent clinical trial showed that patients suffering from frozen shoulder responded well to chiropractic care. In the 50 patients studied, 16 saw their frozen shoulder healed. 25 showed a 75 to 90 percent improvement. 8 showed a 50 percent to 75 percent improvement. One showed 0 to 50 percent improvement.

8. Athletic Performance 

Many top athletes use chiropractic care to help enhance their performance. In fact, every NFL team has a chiropractor on its medical staff! Athletes such as Michael Phelps and Jordan Spieth are under regular chiropractic care.

Regular chiropractic care has many benefits for athletes:

• Boosts immune system
• Recover faster
• Relieves muscle tension
• Increases energy
• Restores nervous system function

Healing Hands Chiropractic Can Help

Chiropractic care has many proven benefits. From birth and beyond, it has something to offer for everyone. At Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfreesboro, TN., Dr. Dee and her highly trained staff can help treat life’s aches and pains.

Whether you’re suffering from headaches, seasonal allergies, back pain, neck pain, migraines, shoulder pain, or anything in between, chiropractic care can help. There are countless research studies proving time and time again that chiropractic care works. It saves patients time and money, while giving them a natural and safe treatment option.

As a 2008 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Dee went to one of the most prestigious chiropractic universities available. She has co-owned practices in Chicagoland and Wisconsin before opening Healing Hands Chiropractic in Murfreesboro in 2015.

Healing Hands Chiropractic seeks to instill knowledge in each patient, improve their life through the power of chiropractic, and help them along in their journey to wellness. Each patient at Healing Hands Chiropractic is treated like family, and that is why Healing Hands and Dr. Dee have consistently been voted Murfreesboro’s favorite chiropractor.

Call our offices today to schedule your appointment and consultation — we look forward to hearing from you and walking this wellness journey together! 615-203-3505

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