N E W S L E T T E R
5 KEYS TO A HEALTHY SPINE UNLOCKING A HEALTHIER YOU
common for these muscles to become weak with prolonged sitting, before/after pregnancy, and after surgeries or injuries. Strengthening your abdominal and hip muscles can go a long way to providing the necessary muscle support to your spine. We can identify which specific muscles need to be targeted in order to decrease your pain. 4. Maintain mobility & strength in your hips and shoulders. Our bodies do not move as individual parts, independent of one another. When you reach to grab your seatbelt, your spine must rotate, your shoulder flexes, your elbow bends, and your hips may even rotate as well. Now imagine that you cannot bend your elbow. You would have to move more from your spine or your shoulder in order to reach the seatbelt. Now you can imagine how inadequate mobility in surrounding joints can increase the demands on the spine, ultimately predisposing you to pain or dysfunction. The same applies for strength in surrounding muscles. We can assess both of these components to decrease wear and tear on your spine.
1. Avoid prolonged sitting. Sitting not only puts a lot of pressure on the back,but italsocreatesmuscle imbalancesthat putstresson thespineand increase instability. It is important to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Work on standing or walking tasks at various times throughout the day, limiting your sitting to about 30 minutes at a time. 2. Protect your spine with better posture. The best posture is one that is consistently moving. This means that although there is an optimal static posture, it is unhealthy to stay in one position for too long. However, sometimes with our job and hobbies, we don’t have a choice. We can teach you about optimal postures in different positions like sitting at a desk and with activities like lifting and bending. 3. Create a more stable spine. Your core muscles are made up of your abdominal muscles, spinal muscles and pelvic / hip muscles. They function together as a functional unit to stabilize the spine. It is very
5. Get your spine moving. Your body was made to move, especially your spine. A mobile spine is a healthy spine. The discs inourspineactuallyreceivetheirnutrition as we move. Throughout the day, nutrients and water are propelled in from surrounding structures, creating a pillow like cushion that absorbs shock as we walk, jump, run, etc. It is common for areas of your spine to tighten up, placing too much strain on other areas. Theseareas,thenbecome irritatedandpainful. Restore the flexibility in your spine with gentle, specializedhandsontherapyaswellasspecific exercises. Participate in Yoga and Pilates to improve your stability, strength and spinal balance. Make your back as healthy as it can be this year by investing in it. Physicaltherapyistherightsolutiontoimproving your spinal health and saying goodbye to that aching neck or back. Prevent future pain by seeing one of our specialists today. Call to speak with one of our experts at (214) 383-0623, and ask about our physical therapy options.
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