Archive:
- 2019
- September (6)
- Heat, or ice? When to use each for back pain relief.
- These 3 yoga poses can help loosen up your aching back.
- Here’s how to plan for driving long distances with back pain.
- These two everyday things might be triggering your sciatica.
- The underlying cause of leg weakness.
- Neck stiff? This could be why.
- July (8)
- 3 Things That Might Be Causing Your Sciatica
- Should I Nap During the Day?
- Consider these neck pain tips for the next time you fly.
- Summer tips for staying healthy.
- Clearing up the confusion about text neck and skull horns
- How to find the right seat to support your back.
- Here’s what you need to know about neck strains.
- Feel better by doing this just one hour each day.
- June (12)
- How to Get Sciatica Pain Relief Through Exercise
- 6 Strategies to Baby Your Back
- Best Laptop Setups
- Before you take the open road this summer, learn how to protect your back
- What’s causing my stiff, sore back?
- This may be the reason your upper back or shoulder blade hurts
- 6 things you should know about getting a good night’s sleep.
- It’s Men’s Health Week. Here’s a helpful guide for guys with spine pain.
- Try these 3 beginner stretches to ease your sciatica pain.
- Traveling this summer? Keep these 3 tips in mind.
- Here’s how to know if your lower back pain is serious.
- Did you know there are different types of pain that can affect your back?
- May (6)
- Here’s how to keep your back healthy and happy next time you golf.
- These 9 tips for soothing neck pain may surprise you.
- Don’t let these summer activities aggravate your back pain.
- Too much rest could be bad for back pain. Here’s why.
- If you like to use a heating pad to soothe back pain, keep these tips in mind.
- Pull a back muscle? Follow these steps for pain relief.
- March (8)
- Do your back a favor and try this for 60 minutes every day
- The 2 neck pain symptoms you need to get treated for right away
- Here’s what you need to know about cervical osteoarthritis
- Stress may cause lower back pain
- Learn the 3 most common reasons for sciatica pain
- How to Support Someone With Chronic Pain
- 3 Ways to Improve Forward Head Posture
- Don’t do these 6 things if you have a herniated disc.
- 2018
- December (9)
- Here are 6 surefire tips for lowering your stress before bedtime.
- Do you have osteoporosis? Here’s how you can best protect your spine.
- If you have sciatica pain, these are the yoga poses to try.
- 2 Common Mistakes That Provoke Sciatica Symptoms
- 3 Simple Ways to Indulge Your Spine
- 3 Symptoms That May Indicate You Have Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
- Exercise is key for better back health
- Smart, simple ways to keep your neck healthy this holiday season
- Here’s how to prevent and treat a stiff neck from sitting in an airplane
- 2017
- November (9)
- How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain
- Try out 3 quick tips for helping your lower back.
- Warning: these 3 everyday things are hurting your neck.
- Sciatica symptoms flaring up? Try these easy hamstring stretches
- Here’s how heating your back pain can lead to relief
- See why resting for too long is actually bad for your lower back
- Here are 2 reasons to avoid phone use in bed if you have neck pain.
- Take control of your chronic pain with mindful meditation.
- Sitting Disease is the new health epidemic. Here’s how you can beat it.
- October (9)
- Taking a long drive? Here are 3 little-known tips to relieve lower back pain on road trips.
- How much do you know about the connection between sleep and chronic pain?
- How to know if your lower back pain is serious.
- The Importance of Aerobic Exercise for Easing Lower Back Pain
- Understanding Cauda Equina Syndrome
- 4 Experiences That Basically Sum Up Living With Chronic Lower Back Pain
- Poor posture causing your back pain?
- The truth behind cracking your neck
- An inside look at bone spurs
- March (12)
- 5 Tips for Flying Back Pain Free
- 4 Myths about Back and Neck Pain
- What You Need to Know about Neck Arthritis
- How to Treat Lower Right Back Muscle Strain
- Everyday Tips for Back Pain Relief
- Signs of a Herniated Disc in the Lumbar and Cervical Spine
- Minimize your back pain by incorporating these two tips into your daily routine.
- How Soft Tissue Injuries Cause Neck Strain
- 1 Hour to Ease Your Back Ache and Boost Your Mood
- 3 Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to See a Doctor for Your Lower Back Pain
- How to Exercise with Sciatica
- What You Need to Know about Spondylosis
- January (12)
- Weight Training Effectively Relieves Back Pain
- Is Piriformis Syndrome the Same Thing as Sciatica?
- 8 Crucial Insights for Back Pain Sufferers
- Understanding Spinal Anatomy Helps You Talk to Your Doctors
- 3 Lesser-Known Causes of Lower Back Pain
- Snacks, Supplements, and Scents to Help You Sleep
- Could My Back Pain be Caused by Stress?
- 5 Ways You May Be Coping With Pain All Wrong
- Should I Use Ice or Heat for My Lower Back Pain?
- How Posture Can Aggravate a Lumbar Herniated Disc
- 3 Simple Items That Can Help Ease Your Chronic Sciatica
- Which Mattress Is Best for Lower Back Pain?
- 2016
- December (9)
- 4 resolutions for better health in 2016
- 4 tips to cope with back pain as you navigate the joy and stress of the holiday season
- 3 tips to ease your sciatica symptoms during long car and plane rides
- What’s a Slipped Disc?
- 4 Big Reasons Why Back Pain Is Hard to Diagnose
- A Guide to Spinal Anatomy and What Can Go Wrong
- Put Your Knowledge to the Test
- Treat Sore and Strained Muscles
- 7 strategies to help you manage the upcoming holiday season.
- November (15)
- 3 little-known facts about chronic pain
- how to effectively use heat therapy
- Do you use your phone in bed?
- simple stretch to help relieve sciatic pain
- 3 common habits to prevent pain and stiffness
- 3 simple suggestions
- The New Health Epidemic: Sitting Disease
- 6 Questions to Ask During Open Enrollment
- Mindful Meditation vs. Chronic Pain
- Treating your Sciatica
- Simple clues to determine cause of neck pain
- 7 natural ways to relieve chronic back pain
- 3 hamstring stretches
- Keep your spine happy and healthy
- reality of living with chronic lower back pain
- October (12)
- 3 tips for a more pleasant trip
- Chronic Pain Quiz
- 3 Simple Tips for Chronic Neck Pain Relief
- Should I Worry About My Neck Cracking?
- Sciatica Symptoms
- Is Poor Posture Causing Your Back Pain?
- The National Pain Strategy
- First Aid Remedies
- Finding the Right Mattress
- Test Your Knowledge
- Which is better for your lower back pain
- Methods to Cope with Chronic Pain
- July (12)
- Five Ways to Keep Your Spine Healthy and Happy
- 7 Sleeping Tips for Chronic Pain
- Pokémon Go and Neck Pain
- Mobilizing the Spine Joints
- Avoiding Bed Rest
- Mild Nuisance that Comes and Goes
- Chronic Pain
- Aerobic Exercise
- Lumbar Herniated Disc
- Exercise and Chiropractic Care
- Treatment for Sciatica
- Top 12 Tips for Buying a New Mattress
- May (11)
- All About Spinal Decompression Therapy
- Exercise for Better Back Health
- Calcium is Needed for Strong Bones
- Sitting at work
- Neck Pain
- Sitting in Front of a Computer
- Home Exercise Equipment
- The Spine Can Produce Pain
- A Modern Spine Ailment: Text Neck
- The 3 Worst Things You Can Do To Your Neck
- American Chiropractic History of Treatment for Back Pain and Neck Pain
- 2015
- February (11)
- Evolution Chiropractic Medicine health care
- Depression Guide
- Differential Diagnosis
- Chiropractic Therapy and Exercise
- Back Pain and Neck Pain
- Stretching Exercises Sciatica Pain Relief
- Chiropractic-treatments Whiplash
- Back Muscle Spasm
- Chiropractic Examination and Treatments
- Leg pain and numbness
- Cervicogenic Headache
- 2014
- May (54)
- Back to the basics
- Evaluation Patient
- Reactions Following a Chiropractic Adjustment
- Chiropractic Adjustment Lumbar Spine Low Back Video
- Tai Chi theory
- Treatment a Cervical Herniated Disc
- Manipulation Under Anesthesia Pain
- Treatments Low Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Video What Causes a Stiff Neck
- How are you sleeping these days?
- Ice Massage Back Pain Relief
- Sacroiliac Joint Problems
- Cold Laser Therapy
- Aerobic Exercise
- Muscle Strain
- Compassion
- Chiropractic Treatment
- Strong Hamstring Muscles
- Axial Pain
- Myofascia
- Non Surgical Treatment Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction Video
- Lumbar Spine Anatomy and Pain
- Sacroiliac Joint Anatomy
- Osteoarthritis Treatments
- Snow Shoveling Techniques
- Chiropractic Examination
- Leg Pain
- Occipital Nerve
- Hamstring Stretching
- Back Muscle Spasms
- Joint Cavitation
- History of Chiropractic
- Subluxation
- Integrating Chiropractic Care Other Doctors
- Assessment of Back Pain
- Herniated Discs
- Persistent leg pain
- Stenosis
- Headache
- Joint Dysfunction
- Home Exercise
- Evolution Chiropractic Care
- Depression Guide
- Assessment of Lower Back Pain
- Exercise
- Lower Back or Buttock Pain
- Do-it-yourself massage ideas
- 21 ways to be a savvy Chiropractic Patient
- Soreness
- Ease your Back Ache
- Ice Massage
- Herniated Disc
- Fibromyalgia
- Welcome to Our Blog
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As an orthopedic spine specialist, I can tell you that your posture is essential to your health. Good posture helps reduce back and neck pain, minimizes your chances of needing spine surgery, and enables you to live an active lifestyle.
See Good Posture Helps Reduce Back Pain
But how can you learn to practice good posture? It’s as simple as ABC.
Experience good posture
Spine specialists use the term sagittal balance to describe a patient's spinal alignment or posture. The best way to learn good sagittal balance is to experience what it feels like.
Here are the ABCs that I teach my patients to help them experience the feeling of good posture:
Step A
- Begin standing up with your hands by your thighs—slowly arch your lower back and elongate your stomach muscles.
- Gently pull your belly button towards your spine.
In this position you should feel your lower back muscles, upper torso, and shoulders aligning over your heels.
See Stretching for Back Pain Relief
Step B
- Rotate your shoulders outward so that your thumbs are pointing away from your body.
- At the same time, draw your shoulder blades together.
Adding this step should allow you to feel the muscles between your shoulder blades.
See Neck Stretches
Step C
- With your neck muscles relaxed, look up until your ears line up over your shoulders.
- During this step it’s vital that you relax your jaw and breathe through your mouth and nose.
After step C, you should feel your elongated stomach and lower back muscles, the strong muscles between your shoulder blades, and your supporting neck muscles.
This is the feeling of good posture.
Identify poor posture habits
On top of experiencing good posture, you can protect your spine by identifying your poor posture habits. Here are some of the posture issues I see at my practice:
See Identifying Incorrect Posture
- In today's world of smart phones and iPads, from a young age we spend countless hours staring down at devices with our necks flexed forward and shoulders slumped. This practice is so widespread that it has led to an epidemic of back and neck pain, or “text neck,” amongst children and teenagers.
- As we grow older, we enter the workforce and spend untold hours—with few breaks—sitting at our desk while staring at a computer. This unfortunate habit deconditions our postural muscles and stiffens our spines.
- Towards retirement, the cumulative effect of decades of poor posture may result in postural kyphosis, or a permanent flexed-forward posture. A flexed-forward posture comprises quality of life by limiting function, inhibiting balance, and increasing the risk for spinal fractures and chronic back pain.
See Workplace Ergonomics and Neck Pain
Make posture a good habit
You can quickly improve your posture by practicing the ABCs several times a day. If you feel that you need more personalized instruction and strengthening exercises, a physical therapist can evaluate your posture and provide you with additional instruction.
Remember that good posture can’t prevent all health problems. If you experience severe back/neck pain or numbness in your arms/legs consult with a spine specialist—these may be symptoms of spinal stenosis or another condition.
See Leg Pain and Numbness: What Might These Symptoms Mean?
Take a break right now and practice your ABCs. Good posture can go a long way towards keeping your spine happy and healthy for a lifetime.