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Back Pain

How to Improve Your Posture at Home

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For many of us, sitting at a desk, computer or even lifting is a daily part of our work routine. What you may not know, is that the routine may be more harmful long-term than you can imagine. Our bodies were made to move throughout a variety of positions during the day. From sitting to walking, to squatting, your body needs frequent movement pattern changes. If you have more of a sedentary job, then the lack of variety in your body positions throughout the day can be detrimental to different areas of your body.


Here are some tips to help you feel your best at work, be more productive and have more energy:

 

Change your positions frequently – If you sit at a desk or even stand for prolonged periods, try to accomplish different parts of your job in different positions. For example, if you sit at a computer, try to get up every 30 minutes to walk around for 1-2 minutes or do a different task.

 

Try a standing desk – Standing is far better than sitting. If your job requires you to sit at a computer for most of the day, consider a standing desk. Being able to stand for 2-3 hours a day, instead of sitting the whole time, can make a big difference in the way that you feel and the health of your spine. There are some good standing desks on the market such as varidesk.com that make it easy to transition from sitting to standing.

 

Sit correctly at your desk – When sitting, make sure that you are sitting tall, like a string is pulling you through the top of your head. Your computer should be directly in front of you, instead of off to the side. It should also be at the height where the top 1/3rd of the screen is at eye level. Furthermore, make sure your keyboard is at the adequate height, creating about a 90-degree bend or less in your elbows. Armrests can be helpful to alleviate pressure on the shoulders when typing.

 

Vary your foot position when standing – If your job requires you to stand for a long time, such as in retail sales, make sure that you stand with one foot slightly forward. Alternate this throughout the day. This posture engages your hip and leg muscles more to alternate pressures in the spine.

 

Watch how you bend – Many jobs require frequent bending, and in similar manners repetitively throughout the day. This may feel fine while you are doing the task, but can lead to repetitive trauma on the spinal muscles and discs. The goal is to make sure that your back is straight and you use your hips and knees to bend down to the item you are trying to get to. In addition, if you can kneel at times with one foot forward and the other back, this can help you protect your spine further.

 

In physical therapy, not only do we alleviate aches and pains, but we also get your body moving. Part of our process is to educate you on different posture techniques to help you feel your best throughout the day and at work. If you are suffering with back, neck, shoulder, hip or knee pain, give us a call to talk to one of our experts. A simple improvement in the way that you move can make a big difference in the way that you feel.

Aches and Pains

How You Should Sleep to Relieve Neck or Shoulder Pain

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Have you ever laid awake, tossing and turning, because of that annoying ache in your neck or shoulder? Why is it that you can be busy all day, but when you lay down to sleep, you start to feel more discomfort or pain? The reason for this is that your brain is busy handling a million other tasks during the day, not paying attention to the problem in your neck or shoulder.

When you rest in your bed, your mind becomes more aware of the body, fixating on any dull or throbbing pain. In addition, since you are now in a reclined position, the weight of gravity will pull differently on your neck or shoulder, causing strain. The goal is to support the body correctly so that you can have a restful night’s sleep.


Here are some tips for finding a comfortable way to sleep:

    • Use two pillows, with the top pillow staggered slightly back of the bottom pillow.
    • Try to lie on your side or back. Have the bottom pillow supporting your shoulders and the top pillow supporting your neck.
    • Hug a pillow, as this will put your top shoulder in an open position. Tuck the pillow up high under the arm.
    • Use a pillow between your legs when you are on your side, or behind your thighs if lying on your back. This helps take pressure off your whole spine.
  • Use gentle deep breathing when you first lie down, to calm your body down and improve the oxygen flow to your muscles, helping them relax.

Getting a good night’s sleep can help you improve your pain and set you up for a good day. When you sleep less than your body needs, it will actually lower your pain tolerance and make your neck or shoulder hurt more.

If your neck or shoulder pain lingers for more than 3 days, then you should see a physical therapist. Our experts evaluate your movement to discover the root cause of your problem and gently treat it with expert, hands on techniques. To learn more how we can help you live life pain free, call us today.

Uncategorized

Eating Right: A Simple Technique for Reducing Pain and Inflammation

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Do you deal with chronic pain or inflammation in your daily life? It isn’t uncommon, but it is avoidable. While exercise is a crucial part of your physical therapy regimen, proper nutrition can also play an important role.  The foods you eat work to fuel your body, and eating the right ones can help you recover much quicker from painful or uncomfortable conditions. Exercising regularly, reducing your stress intake, and keeping a strict nutritional diet all work together to help limit and alleviate your pain and inflammation. For more information on how nutrition can help you, contact <insert client name here> to schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists. 

Why we experience inflammation:

Your immune system can naturally respond to injury, ailment, or other harm through inflammation. If you have an infection, wound, tissue damage, or buildup of toxins in your body, the immune response is triggered to deal with it. Without inflammation, injuries wouldn’t be able to heal; however, if this process goes on for too long, chronic inflammation can occur. This can lead to serious health conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or even some cancers. If you experience persistent pain, it is wise to contact a physical therapist as soon as possible, as it may mean that the inflammation has become chronic.

Traditionally, chronic inflammation has been treated through strict rest and medication. However, a lack of exercise can actually make inflammation worse, as it constricts joints and causes muscles to stiffen. Additionally, medications come with a whole slew of side effects, some of which can be dangerous and/or habit-forming. Luckily, pain and inflammation can be treated in much easier and healthier ways – such as diet. 

Beat inflammation with a nutritional diet!

Nutritionists have had patients report great success in turning around their symptoms by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. Inflammation is your body’s way of trying to heal, which can be accelerated through a nutritional diet that complements the removal of toxins. 

The three basic components of an anti-inflammatory diet are:

  • Lots of veggies!

Raw broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage are the best options when sustaining an anti-inflammatory diet. They can be cooked if you prefer, but raw vegetables are generally better for speeding up the inflammation process. You’ll want to eat up to nine servings per day, and you can substitute fruits for a couple of those servings to break it up, if it becomes too much. Otherwise, the timeless saying “eat your veggies,” is key.

  • Take it easy on grains and dairy.

In order to strengthen your body’s immune response, you’ll want to avoid simple carbs and sugars. Unfortunately, that means no donuts, no pastries, and no white breads. Dairy products should also be extremely limited, so very little cheese or milk with anything. Whole grains, such as barley, oats, brown rice, and wheat are best.

  • Avoid red meat altogether.

It is best to avoid red meat while participating in an anti-inflammatory diet. If this proves difficult, red meat is okay in small doses; however, it should be an extremely rare treat in your diet. The proteins in red meat require extra work from your kidneys to process, so it will slow down the healing process if you eat a lot of it. One small piece of steak, one time per week, should be your maximum limit. Luckily, chicken and fish are just fine for an anti-inflammatory diet. Enjoy them with all of those servings of vegetables!

More helpful tips:

If you stick to the diet listed above, you should see your pain and inflammation symptoms start to reduce very quickly. In addition to a nutritional diet, you can also help fight inflammation through:

  • Weight loss: If you have some unwanted weight, getting down to your ideal body weight will help with your pain and inflammation.
  • Stress management:  If you’re feeling mentally stressed, your body can become physically stressed – causing more inflammation and a longer recovery rate. Taking time to relax can actually allow you to heal quicker!
  • Daily exercise: Exercise will keep the muscles warm, which can alleviate pain or stiffness, and stop the inflammation from becoming worse.

Contact us today if you’d like to speak with a physical therapist about pain management or additional advice on how to reduce inflammation! 

sleeping-positions
Health and Wellness

The Best Sleeping Positions to Wake Up Pain-Free

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When it comes to muscular, joint and bone pain, sleep may play an integral role. If you’re having trouble settling your body’s score with pain, you might want to consider a few pain-free sleeping positions. Depending upon your consistent morning ailments, a few positions might reduce pain—or strike it out, altogether. Take a look at the following sleeping positions experts believe reduce ongoing morning pain:

 

Sleeping On Your Back with a Pillow Under Your Legs

 

A lot of sleep studies suggest sleeping on your back, with a pillow situated beneath the crooks of your legs, can aid in maintaining your lower back curve. This might seem like a subtle aid, but it’s entirely conducive to a morning free of back stress. If you’re having trouble maintaining a position, or if your pillow “deflates” overnight, consider placing a small, rolled-up towel beneath the small of your back to hold your body in place.

 

Sleeping On Your Stomach

 

More and more pain-ridden individuals are sleeping on their stomachs to reduce morning back pain. Understandably, you’ll reduce pressure on your back by not sleeping on it at all. Place a pillow under your lower abdomen and pelvis, and add another beneath your head if you’re still experiencing strain. You’ll be surprised by the morning results.

 

Sleeping On Your Side with Leg Support

 

If you face lower back and neck pain constantly, you should try out sleeping on your side. More importantly: You should sleep on your side with leg support. In doing so, you can maintain your back’s naturally curved position. Rest on your side, keep your knees bent, slightly, and keep your hips straight. By letting your top hip flop a little, you’ll prevent lumbar rotation—and thus prevent nightly, and morning, pain.

 

Sleeping On Your Back with Shoulder Support

 

If you face rotator cuff pain—or shoulder pain, in general—try sleeping on your back with a small pillow nested between your shoulder blades. Often, morning shoulder pain is caused by your body’s flatness during nighttime hours. You may still experience pain from resting on your back alone, so don’t forget to enforce your shoulders’ natural bends by keeping the area between them raised.

 

Sleeping with a Towel Beneath Your Neck

 

If you face morning neck pain, you should consider giving your head a little more support. Neck pain, primarily, is caused by the cranium’s weight during nighttime hours. By rolling up a small hand towel beneath your neck, however, you can additionally support your head and prevent hourly stress. Neck pillows, too, are a good choice if you’re sleeping on your back. If, however, you’re still experiencing pain, you should alter the pillow beneath your head—or remove it.

 

Sleeping with a Flat Pillow

 

Speaking of pillows, you may be able to reduce neck and shoulder stress by lowering your head’s elevation. If you’re waking up with consistent pain in your upper back, neck, shoulders or collarbone area, try buying a flatter pillow. Or, buy an orthopedic pillow. Pillows with deeper depressions support the head better, and they’ll increase neck support over several nights—comforting persistent pain while reducing more stress.

 

When in Doubt, Sleep at an Incline

 

If you’ve tried everything, and if you’re still facing morning discomfort, you may need to sleep at an incline. A lot of people prefer sitting in a recliner, or upon an adjustable bed, to maintain healthy spine support while easing nightly stress. Don’t worry: You’ll get used to the slant in time.

 

Overall, you should maintain a healthy schedule of at least eight hours of sleep per night. Treat your body with care, and don’t give it a reason to toss and turn, needlessly, throughout the week. Additionally, it may be time to visit your physical therapist to further reduce pain. Often, a physical therapist can help relieve pain through hands-on treatment, and custom exercises to improve flexibility and strength.

Source

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/10-tips-prevent-neck-pain

http://www.painphysicians.com/blog/the-best-sleep-positions-for-back-neck-and-shoulder-pain

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sleep-positions

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/multimedia/sleeping-positions/sls-20076452?s=1

sitting
Health and Wellness

Sitting is the New Smoking: How Physical Therapy Combats the Negative Effects of Inactivity

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We all know that smoking is bad for your health for a variety of reasons, but did you realize that sitting can be every bit as dangerous to your long-term health? While many office workers strive long and hard to obtain a job that is “better” than damaging your body through strenuous hard labor, desk jobs may actually be worse for your body than being on your feet! Everything from obesity and metabolic syndrome to high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels and even cancer have been linked to an excess of time spent on our rumps. Add in traditional risk factors, and you’ve got a serious problem that is only getting worse in America. 

While a daily hour of exercise won’t combat the problem, there are ways that you can help overcome the negative effects of too much sitting on an ongoing basis. Physical therapy has been shown to be highly effective in helping individuals combat some of the key challenges of sitting including organ damage, muscle regeneration, back and neck pain. Keep reading to see how physical therapy can help you get moving again and get rid of any ongoing aches and pains caused by a sedentary lifestyle. 

Small Changes

While constant sitting is a huge problem for a variety of reasons, physicians have found that short-term changes such as fidgeting in your seat, getting up regularly and taking a brief walk, having a stand-up desk or going to physical therapy on a regular basis can make a big difference in your level of health. Instead of sitting down for yet another meeting, try a walking meeting with colleagues and take a hike around the block when the weather is nice. 

Reduced Strength and Mobility from Sitting

Sitting all day can have a serious negative impact on your muscles and bone structure. Your abdominal muscles can easily become flabby from lack of use, and the mobility of your hips and strength of your large muscles such as glutes is impacted as well. Having these larger muscle groups weakened can also reduce your stability and power when jumping or walking — making it tougher to get active even when you want to. 

Benefits of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy offers improved mobility and motion, and can help get your body to the pain-free state of movement that encourages physical fitness and can improve your overall quality of life. Mobility is critically important for physical independence as it allows individuals to walk, dance, jog or otherwise exercise to reduce factors that can cause obesity and death. Walking alone has been shown to reduce the chance of hip fracture, knee arthritis, heart attack and stroke.

The Role of Education 

The strengthening and stretching movements that are associated with physical therapy can help offset the damage due to lack of use of crucial muscles and joints. Physical therapy can accelerate the stages of healing, reduce the overall pain and inflammation. Physical therapists play a strong part in helping educate individuals about the importance of maintaining proper posture and restoring joint mobility, spine motion and muscular flexibility — even introducing specific exercises that are targeted to solve the challenges that an individual is encountering from pain or reduced mobility.

Sitting for many hours a day can be very dangerous to your body and cause additional aches and pains, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. However, there are ways that you can combat those dangers through brief bursts of activity throughout the day and working with a licensed physical therapist on a regular basis to enhance your strength and mobility.

Source

http://www.juststand.org/tabid/816/default.aspx

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/health/sitting-will-kill-you/

http://www.cheatsheet.com/life/side-effects-of-sitting-all-day.html/?a=viewall

https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_your_back_and_neck/hic_What_Can_Physical_Therapy_Do_For_Your_Back_and_Neck_Pain

http://www.moveforwardpt.com/benefits/default.aspx