The Relationship Between Posture & Pain
Neck and back pain have several potential causes and contributing factors. Improper posture is often one of them. When you lose your postural awareness and start to slouch, it puts extra strain on the muscles that support your spine, particularly the muscles in your neck and upper back. This can lead to overuse injuries that cause pain or restricted mobility. Remaining in prolonged postures (particularly sitting) also puts extra strain on your back muscles. When you get up and move around – even if it’s just for a few minutes – you relieve that pressure. Staying active also helps strengthen the muscles of your back and core, which helps prevent common musculoskeletal injuries that can cause pain and dysfunction. Physical Therapy’s Role in Improving Posture When you visit us for your appointment, here’s what we’ll do to help you improve your posture and reduce your back and neck pain: • We start with a comprehensive postural assessment. We’ll take a look at your posture when you’re sitting, standing, and moving, looking for potential areas of dysfunction. We’ll also take a complete health history and might run some additional screens, too, testing for strength, mobility, balance, and more.
• We help with any acute pain. Manual therapy techniques and targeted mobility exercises can help relieve your pain and help you get your body’s function back. • We help strengthen any weak muscles: Targeted strengthening exercises will help correct any muscular imbalances stemming from improper posture, providing better support and stability to your spine. • We offer personalized postural corrections: The final piece of the puzzle helps ensure lasting relief. We’ll provide a customized postural improvement plan that speaks to your unique needs and impairments. Start Improving Your Posture Today! Fixing improper posture isn’t a one-and-done affair, but a visit to Courcier Clinic can help you get started. Call us to schedule your appointment today!
Sources: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Posture, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4499985/ https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/resource-center/pdf/Workplace-Physical-Activity-Break-Guide-508.pdf, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC9162294/ https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/3-ingredient-healthy-energy-bars/
Stealthy Exercises To Do At Your Work Desk If you have an office job, it’s essential that you take breaks from sitting. Prolonged sitting strains our back and neck muscles, leading to pain and other impairments. One way to combat this is to set a timer to go off every 30 minutes to an hour, reminding you to stop what you’re doing and take a few minutes to move: for instance, get up and walk around the office or do some simple stretches. But sometimes, that’s just not possible. Fortunately, these stealth exercises allow you to work your core and back muscles without drawing a lot of attention to yourself. • Core Activation: Sit up tall in your chair with your pelvis tilted forward. Squeeze your core muscles tightly and hold for 15 seconds (don’t forget to breathe). Then, release and repeat. You can build the intensity by lifting one foot at a time as you engage your core. • Seated Twists: Sit up tall with your core activated. Take a deep breath in. Then, as you exhale, twist to one side.
There, take five deep breaths, then return to facing the front. Repeat the process on the other side.
• Chair Squats: If you don’t need to be super-stealthy, chair squats are a good way to get some movement in. Push your chair away from your desk so you can stand up without using your hands. Then move to sit back down– but stop right before you hit the chair. Repeat as many times as you need.
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