Lonoke PT. How To Improve Your Posture Quickly & Easily

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

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• Exercise Essentials • Patient Success Spotlight • Outstanding Results

HOW TO IMPROVE POSTURE QUICKLY & EASILY!

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

HOW TO IMPROVE POSTURE QUICKLY & EASILY!

pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. All of those times your mother told you to “Stand up straight,” or “Stop slouching,” she was trying to help you not only feel more confident, she also wanted you to be healthier as a result. Even though you cannot stop the hands of time or quit performing repetitive tasks, there are simple ways you can improve your posture quickly and easily. WORK ON ALIGNMENT Great posture is all about training the body to remain in positions that put the least amount of strain on the muscles and joints. Consider how you spend the majority of your time during the course of a day. Are you sitting in a chair at work? Lifting, bending, squatting, or stretching? Do you do certain tasks over and over? How is your posture each time you do these things? While sitting, this means that all three curves of the back should be present with your weight evenly distributed on both hips. Correct lifting positions involve keeping your back straight and bending at the knees and hips. While standing, you should be able to draw a straight line from your head to your feet that touches your spine and runs through your hips. Wearing proper footwear fitted with custom orthotics designed for your work environment can help you maintain your posture while you perform basic tasks over the course of the day.

Watching a confident person walk into a room, what is the first thing you notice? Their hair? Their outfit? Or something we like to call, “The way they carry themselves.” That undeniable, but undefinable “carriage” is what often defines our first impression not only of a person’s health, but their intelligence and mental clarity as well. POSTURE & AGING It is no surprise that our bodies change as we get older. Beginning at about age 30, our bodies lose lean muscle mass and bone density making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Changes in the cartilage and cushioned discs between the spine actually force us to begin “shrinking” as we age. In fact, it is common to lose one-half inch of height every decade after your peak height due to these changes. As a result, our posture naturally changes as we age to accommodate all of these factors. Postural changes, in turn, affect joint pain, balance and gait resulting in the characteristic poor posture so common in older people. That’s not to say that improving posture is exclusively an older person’s job. Poor posture can contribute to a host of health problems in every adult such as digestive problems, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and balance problems. Posture also affects the way you perform repetitive activities. Sitting slouched over a keyboard at work or stooped over while performing a repetitive task in a manufacturing plant can contribute to chronic back

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HOW TO IMPROVE POSTURE QUICKLY & EASILY! (Continued)

CORE STRENGTH IS PARAMOUNT The best way to improve your posture is to strengthen your core muscles. Your core is not only your abdominal muscles but also your stabilizing muscles that connect to your pelvis and spine. These muscles control how you bend, twist, walk, run, stand, and lift. Strong core muscles help you remain upright as you age and can even help prevent injury to your back. But a strong core is not born of hundreds of sit ups or crunches. These muscles are best worked through slow, controlled, weight bearing movements. Yoga, Pilates and weight training exercises are all ideal ways to strengthen your stabilizing muscles without having to lay on the ground. POSTURE + PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical therapy is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when you are considering ways to improve your posture. Most of the time, people visit their physical therapist after surgery or an injury but forget that these practitioners are experts at helping patients develop, maintain or restore function to their bodies. This includes helping patients find their ideal posture for all of their daily activities. Patients who go to PT for neck,

shoulder or back pain are often surprised to discover that their problems stem from poor posture. The therapist will assess the ways they sit, stand, walk, and work and begin helping the patient find ways to minimize stress on their body. These may include balance and strengthening exercises or even recommending changes to the work environment that would promote proper posture. Our bodies, like any machine, are subject to the forces placed upon them. Our posture can either magnify those forces on our joints and muscles or minimize them. Proper posture helps you look better and feel better, but it also helps your body function the way it should as you walk, run, jump, sit, stand, or even lay down. Fortunately, you do not have to tackle perfecting your posture on your own. Your physical therapist can help you find ways to correct your body’s posture that are specific to your needs. Contact us today to begin standing tall once again. If you are looking to improve posture, call Lonoke Physical Therapy to schedule your consultation today!

Ask us how you can win, too! Congratulations to Our Attendance Winners!

June Attendance Winner Mrs. Jean

Fourth of July Winner Mr. Vernon

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Patient Success Spotlight

“Thanks to Matt and the team at ProMotion PT. I’ve noticed a significant difference in my daily pain that I’ve had for 15 years! Matt has been so patient and thorough in his work. He has pinpointed my problem areas and with the therapy techniques, including dry needling, which practically eliminates my pain to enable me to work an entire day without any additional stretching or normal pain med use! I now have hope that this chronic pain can be managed without medication. Thanks guys!”

Outstanding RESULTS

“Headaches have ceased. Neck muscles are more relaxed.” - V.N.

“No nagging pain in neck while sitting at the computer. No numbness in fingers. Less tension headaches and more mobility.” - R.R.

“Better posture and walking. No pain in upper back.” - G.D.

Move Freely • Alleviate Pain Naturally • Have More Energy • Enjoy Activities Pain Free • Be Stronger

Don’t let pain become a way of life Come in for a Free Consultation and see if PT along with Dry Needing can help you move toward a better feeling you! FREE DRY NEEDLING CONSULTATION

Dry Needling Can:

Loosen stiff muscles Ease joint pain Improve blood flow & oxygen circulation Optimize sports performance Accelerate healing from injury Prevent issues from becoming chronic

Lonoke: 501-676-5540 ProMotion: 501-945-0200

Offer valid for the first 25 people to schedule. Expires 9-30-19.

Practice News!

Fun & Games!

Happy Birthday, Fiona!

Fiona’s birthday is August 16th!

New Care Coordinator at the ProMotion clinic Welcome, Magen!

Mandy’s Crockpot Beef Cheesy Tortellini

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb browned ground beef • 1 - 24oz jar marinara sauce • 1 - 9oz package cheese tortellini

• 1 can Italian style diced tomatoes • garlic powder • shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS Brown ground beef in skillet. Combine ground beef, marinara sauce, tomatoes and garlic powder to taste in your crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Mix tortellini in with the sauce about 10-15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top.

Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercises to relieve pain and stay flexible!

Chin Tucks While maintaining good posture, slowly draw your head back so that your ears line up with your shoulders and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 30 times.

Shoulder Blade Squeezes While maintaining good posture, slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 30 times.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.