7 Simple Steps to Solving Neck & Back Pain

How many people realize how significant poor posture can be to your overall health? It’s a topic that gets dismissed by most people including the health care community at large. I am certain that chiropractors are by far the leading authority on this subject. However, it has come to my attention after seeing hundreds of patients that have previously seen other chiropractors that they are never made aware of their poor posture and muscular imbalances. This can have a long term negative impact on the overall health and function of the body as a whole.

My goal here is to make you aware of the 7 Simple Steps to Solving Neck & Back Pain. Let me preface this statement by stating that it is always a good measure to see your chiropractor regarding your posture in addition to applying these 7 Simple Steps so that you are aware of how to correct them.

The typical posture seen at my office are patients that present with a mild to moderate forward head carriage, rounded shoulders, slumped and slouched appearance, and often patients with anterior pelvic tilt. There are many causes of these imbalances. Mostly, they are caused by adaptively deconditioned muscles secondary to chronically poor posture. In a nutshell, that is the cause of most musculoskeletal complaints than one could possibly imagine. The sad truth is it doesn’t get the attention that it requires to correct it so relapses almost always reoccur.

Consider the body as a dynamic mechanical piece of machinery. It is designed in such a magnificent way that there are infinite capabilities and positions that can be attained to accomplish unlimited tasks. If there is any disruption in the mechanics of this structure there will eventually be perpetual weaknesses and dysfunctions that will ultimately lead to injury. You cannot impose abnormal stresses through an imbalanced machine of precision and expect there to be no consequences. This principle parallels the exact cause/causes of the different conditions I see in my office. This is why many people enter with acute and chronic neck pain, lower back pain, shoulder pain, and headaches.

We must supply the body with what it requires in order avoid the unnecessary wear and tear that occurs from having poor posture. With the foregoing and following information you will be armed with a higher level of knowledge to prevent suffering from the annoying aches and pains from having poor posture.

As promised, here are the 7 Simple Steps to Solving Back Pain:

1. Be cognizant of your posture. Have someone take a picture of you standing from the front, back and side. You will see how imbalanced you really are.


2. Visualize having an ideal posture. Before you leave the house for the day, take a good look at the pictures you have and make the correction in the mirror by adjusting your shoulders, neck, and pelvis so they are in neutral positions.


3. Implement proper ergonomics at home and work. Ergonomics will give you the proper positioning to avoid repetitive and cumulative stresses on your joints. Visit http://office-ergo.com/ for more information.


4. Exercise Agonists and Antagonists for ideal balance and symmetry. This rule applies to just about anyone. Using this principle will help you from becoming overdeveloped and dominate from overtraining one muscle group without addressing the others. For example, when you train your chest muscles you should also train your back muscles on the same day to promote balance from the muscles in the anterior chain and posterior chain. Most trainees ignore the posterior chain which leads to chronically poor posture, overuse syndromes, and pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back region.


5. When sitting at your desk use a lumbar support. Using a lumbar support is one of the simplest techniques to do to remind us that we must maintain an upright neutral spine position at all times.


6. Sleep soundly with the right support. If you want to improve your posture while you sleep then it’s a good idea to maintain the neutral spine position even during the night. If you are a side sleeper be sure to keep a pillow between your thighs to keep your hips level through the night. Keep a pillow under your neck so that the neck is level with the rest of the spine. If you sleep on your back similar principles apply. Keep a pillow under your knees and under the small of your neck always maintaining neutral spine position and support.


7. Routine visits to your chiropractor. This doesn’t mean that you have to go to your chiropractor once a week for the rest of your life. What it does mean is that you must keep the articulations that make up the spine moving freely so that the neutral spine position that has been mentioned previously is adequately maintained. Pain should not be the only indicator for routine chiropractic care. Without proper movement and muscular balance and symmetry, the vicious cycle of pain and dysfunction will be perpetual and the quality of life as you know it may diminish.


 

If you are looking to alleviate symptoms relating to headaches, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, or you would like to address postural issues then please feel free to contact Rivano Chiropractic Health Center, LLC and speak with Dr. Anthony Rivano about your concerns. He is a Board Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician located in Florham Park, NJ and has helped hundreds of patients overcome their aches and pains as well as enhance their quality of life under his care. He can be reached at (973) 845-6282 or via email at drrivano@rivanochiropractic.com. To learn more about Dr. Rivano visit http://chiropractorflorhampark.com/chiropractor-florham-park/.