Relief From Back Pain Caused
by Bad Posture
Video Dr. Bryan Stephens
As a Chiropractor, people often come in looking for relief from back pain. As a population, we spend too much time sitting and/or hunching forward. It can happen with computer work, being on phones, driving, lounging, reading, cooking, etc. This causes our posture to pull forward and increases the tension in the musculature in our chest and front part of the neck. All too often, I see patients come in to the office with neck and back pain and find part of the culprit is the constant tension built in the chest muscles that have altered the posture and biomechanics of the body. By having that constant tension, it also weakens the muscles in the back from being chronically stretched without being strengthened. Beside getting adjusted to restore the needed motion in the joint, we also focus on stretching the chest and strengthening the back to further the movement of the spine and help balance out the muscles.
One of the ways we help stretch the chest is by focusing on the pectoral muscles. This stretch is easily done in a doorway or against the corner of a wall. By bringing your arm to the side against the wall and leaning forward, you help open up the chest and release some of the tension in the pectoral muscles that are constantly contracted with the hunched posture. This in addition to strengthening the back help bring the posture more upright and lower the added stress through the neck and the back.
Along with the adjustment to restore segmental motion, stretching and strengthening of the surrounding areas is also needed to maintain the motion and help the entire motor segment unit. This means it goes beyond just the joint or muscle, but includes the nerves, tendons, ligaments, and blood flow as well. So now that you know the importance of not hunching, get up and get moving! Don’t let it impact your pain or your life.
Reference
Alain Hamaoui, Yola Friant, Serge Le Bozec, Does increased muscular tension along the torso impair postural equilibrium in a standing posture?, Gait & Posture, Volume 34, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 457-461, ISSN 0966-6362, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.06.017.
Our Message
We know how important it is to find a Chiropractor near you that you can trust. At our St. Louis Park location, near the corner of MN-100 S & Lake Rd./Westside Dr., our Chiropractors make sure our patients get the best understanding of their pain and their health. Our Doctors want to get you out of pain without medication, usual medical procedures or expensive surgeries. We also take the time to teach you how live a lifestyle that will keep you out of pain.