Back Clinic Posture Team. Posture is the position in which an individual holds their body upright against gravity while standing, sitting, or lying down. A proper posture visually reflects an individual’s health, ensuring the joints and muscles, as well as other structures of the body, are working properly. Throughout a collection of articles, Dr. Alex Jimenez identifies the most common effects of improper posture as he specifies the recommended actions an individual should take to improve their stance as well as enhance their overall health and wellness. Sitting or standing incorrectly can happen unconsciously, but recognizing the issue and correcting it can ultimately help many individuals develop healthier lifestyles. For more information, please feel free to contact us at (915) 850-0900 or text to call Dr. Jimenez personally at (915) 850-0900.
Correcting your posture does feel difficult and challenging at first because your body has become habitual of sitting or standing in that wrong posture. Here we tell you 5 exercises to help
Postural problems are the common cause of concern these days and the culprits here are desk jobs and our addiction to smartphones. Experts say that correcting your posture does feel difficult and challenging at first because your body has become habitual of sitting or standing in that wrong posture. However, a bit of practice, consistency and determination can facilitate the task and later your body will definitely thank you for this correction. Desk hunch (when you feel pain in your upper back after sitting at a computer all day) and text neck (the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your smartphone) are the two most prevalent postural problems these days.
Over time, both these problems contribute to you developing a rounded upper back, which can cause shoulder and upper back stiffness. However, practicing the below-mentioned stretches and workouts can turn your saviour here. The list includes upper back, neck and rear shoulder strengthening exercises, chest stretches and neck posture drills.
Seated rows: This workout emphasises muscles around the back including the lats, the erector spine, rear delts, biceps, and forearm flexors.
Pull-ups: If you are new at this exercise, then using a chin assist machine is the way to practice it. These machines use weight to help you push your bodyweight.
T-Spine Mobility in Child’s Pose: This pose stretches the lower back, tones the abdominal organs, and stimulates digestion and elimination.
Lat Hang: It alleviates the tight lats, pecs, upper back, and opens up the shoulder girdle prior to upper-body pushing or pulling movements.
Prone Y extension: It rotates your shoulders outward, stretches your abdomen, chest, and strengthens your lower back extensor muscles, along with the upper back muscles.
El Paso TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at the work environment to see if it is in fact spine friendly.
While work can be a pain, it doesn’t have to cause pain. Creating your office work room in order to avoid back and neck strain is easier than you may think. Plus, rethinking your work environment is a fantastic chance to brush up on other healthy work habits as well as your posture.
Here are five ways you are able to design your office together with your back in your mind.
#1. Perfect Your Sitting�Posture
If you’re not sitting right even with the top equipment, your back will suffer. Pay attention to the situation of legs, hands, and your head when sitting. To avoid back pain, make sure to do the following:
Sit erect with your back and shoulders against the trunk of your chair
Consider using a hands free headset to stop shoulder and neck pain
Don’t slouch
Arms should rest on the armrests of your chair to avoid nerve pressure or circulatory difficulties
Keep your feet flat on the flooring�don�t cross your legs
Rest your shoulders while typing
#2. Get A Good�Chair
A good-constructed ergonomic seat to help increase your blood flow, reduce fatigue, stress, and decrease the chance of injury to your own neck and back. Getting the chair that is best is important, which means this is one product which should be tried in the store as opposed to purchasing online so you know before purchasing it, the way that it feels. Make fully sure your office chair has got the following:
A good backrest that provides lumbar support
The capability to recline (Sitting erect at a 90� angle is not good for your spine; a 100-degrees to 110-degrees angle is much better.)
Flexible height (You don�t want the seat to be overly high�your feet must be flat on the floor)
The ability to rotate or swivel, so you can easily�change tasks
#3. Invest In A Desk That Offers More Than Just Storage
One of the biggest pitfalls of a spine-friendly work routine is staying in one position for a long time. Switching between sitting and standing is the best strategy, and some desks�known as sit-stand desks or sit-to-stand desks � encourage one to mix up your position through the entire workday.
Sit-to-stand desks offer you the choice to work comfortably in both sitting and standing poses�and they been discovered to simply help burn off calories. They come in various price points and styles, and a growing variety of companies are considering this investment to boost workplace wellness.
If you�re looking to boost the ergonomic quality of a traditional desk make sure the desk is:
Secure (not wobbly)
Suitably high (generally 28″ to 30″ above the floor)
Large enough for your computer, with surface space for writing along with other jobs.
Not�so large that you have to over reach to do your work, which could cause excessive stress on the back
#4. Look At Your Computer
Since so much office work is done on computers, wherever your equipment is put can really make a difference when you are at work, in how your back feels. Try the following hints:
Tilt the keyboard down and slightly away from you for better wrist posture
Be sure your mouse is close enough so you can use it with your arms relaxed, and let it be as close to your body as possible
Set the monitor right in front of you at eye level, not off to the side, in order to avoid eye and neck strain. Adjustable monitor stands are available to find an ideal height.
If using a notebook, consider getting an external monitor or keyboard (or both). This enables each of those parts individually to move to develop a comfortable arrangement.
#5.�Take A Break
Not just a coffee break but a spine break. Stretch, take a quick walk, get the blood flowing. It�s simple to get caught up in work jobs and forget that you�ve been sitting or typing for a straight hour. Whether it�s a 15-minute walk or two-minute stretch session, occasional breaks can help revive your muscles, and perhaps you can find feel more productive, too.
You spend lots of time at work�why not take a few extra steps to develop a space that does your back a number of favors in return?
El Paso TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at some exercises that are help�posture.
Prone Shoudler Arcs Can Help Strengthen Upper Back Muscles Which Hold Your Shoulders In Better Posture
By lifting a dowl or light pole up off the floor and moving the shoulder can help strengthen the muscles between the spine and shoulder blade.
Shoulders and shoulder blades which are relaxed and sit back and down instead of hunched up and slouched forward are better for your posture. Good posture can prevent neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches in the future.
Prone Shoulder Arcs
Deep Neck Flexor Training
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For further hints and tips on postural care and general healthy living go to ccbrighton.co.uk/videos
You could do cartwheels down the centre of a bus or train in peak hour and no one would notice, thanks to our latest modern addiction that has us all continually looking down.
And apparently, because of this need to be glued to our smartphone screens, a new survey by the Chiropractors’ Association of Texas�suggests that it has created a brand new health disorder and, with no clear policy to help curb the issue, it threatens to put a strain on medical services.
According to Chiropractors, thousands across patients�are apparently lining up in droves out their doors complaining of chronic neck pain, headaches, poor posture and repetitive strain injuries in the wrist and hands � all blamed on the use of mobile technology.
Worryingly, according to their survey, 45 per cent of patients who visit chiropractic clinics on a weekly basis are teenagers. These bad habits are setting them up for a lifetime of complex back and neck issues.
President of El Paso Injury Medical Clinic points out, “These are patients who are constantly looking at their phone in a bent-forward position. Postural bad habits over time can develop into more serious health conditions such as spinal degenerative disease, osteoarthritis, hunchback and reduced mobility.”
But they aren�t the only ones suffering. The expectation from employers to be constantly contactable is also to blame. Dr Alex Jimenez, “It’s often the 25-45 age group I’m seeing now who have grown up using technology.
“I have one patient in his mid-40s who is experiencing onset of hand and arm pain and discomfort, he uses his mobile for work and regularly checks emails… Another patient who works in the finance industry experienced similar symptoms of chest and arm pain. Further investigation and x-rays revealed moderate degeneration of the lower cervical spine.”
Dr Jimenez hopes these findings will encourage policy makers to address the issue; “It’s estimated that by 2025, more than 5 billion people worldwide will be using smartphones. Already� 81% of smartphone users have their mobile phone switched on all of the time even when they are in bed or in bathrooms.
“We see smartphone addiction and text neck as a serious health risk and something that needs to be addressed.”
There is some advice you can follow to help avoid these issues:
1. Straighten your posture. Use a mirror to help align your neck and spine. The correct posture means your ear and shoulders should line-up.
2. Gentle exercises. If you struggle maintaining correct posture, do some exercises to help alleviate muscle stress and pain. Gently arch your neck and upper back backward, pulling your shoulders into alignment under your ears.
3. Look ahead. Instead of looking down, try raising your device to eye-level.
The McKenzie system is a way of evaluating and treating spinal disorders. It’s practiced commonly throughout the entire world. Physical therapists contain the bulk of McKenzie practitioners but physicians and chiropractors practice the process additionally.
Numerous exercise regimens have been recommended for treating spinal pain. Although the dependability of McKenzie’s classification and evaluation system was challenged in the literature, this method of spinal rehabilitation has provided considerable relief of pain for patients that were innumerable. Like all spinal exercise plans, the precise prescription of exercise should be customized to the individual ‘s physical examination findings.
Training
Training includes a sequence of four courses over a specific amount of time culminating in a certification assessment. For many who pursue additional training, a diploma program (consisting of a 3 month residency) is offered. The McKenzie Institute is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the education and training of clinicians that are interested.
Spinal TechniqueIn the McKenzie system, clinicians perform a thorough history and evaluation. This consists of finding the patient’s response to duplicated, end-range spinal movements. The patient is then given a “mechanical analysis.” Most patients are diagnosed with derangement, dysfunction or postural syndromes. Patients are treated by a composite of postural alterations, specific exercises, and in a few instances, spinal mobilization or manipulation.
Common Analysis
The most common diagnosis is the derangement syndrome. It is believed to result from an alteration in the structure and mechanics of the intervertebral disc. In the derangement syndrome, positions and exercises that “centralize” the pain (move it closer to the back) are highlighted. Those movements and positions that peripheralize the pain (move it away from the back) are averted.
Patients Take An Active Role In Recovery
The patient must take an active part in their own healing. The process was created to accomplish favorable results in as few treatments as possible. It is hoped that continuance of appropriate positions of maintenance as well as exercises will prevent recurrence. Patients will probably have the capacity to treat themselves, without intervention, if pain does recur.
The process was examined extensively and is supported by research. For more information, get in touch with a certified professional. Patients are counseled to seek treatment from a certified or a diplomaed clinician although McKenzie techniques are used by many professionals. Credentialed practicioners will have the initials Cert. MDT, or Dip.
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that’s been in existence for many years. Keeping their work environments safe and efficient and traditionally concerned with factory workers, ergonomic professionals have expanded their work to include all types of workers from laborers to seniors to office workers & students.
In addition, it looks for means to adjust our environment to lower the risks of illness and harm, enhance productivity, and improve the caliber of our work life.
The Goals of Ergonomics
The profession of ergonomics has two main concentrations (which frequently overlap):
1. Industrial ergonomics – occasionally called work-related biomechanics – is concerned with the physical aspects of work including force, position, and repetitive movements.
2. Human factors ergonomics looks as the psychological features of work like mental anxiety and decision-making.
The aims of ergonomics contain the following:
Reduce work-related injury and illness
Help include workers’ compensation costs for companies
Enhance the standard of work
Reduce absenteeism
Help companies comply with government regulations regarding work surroundings
Ergonomics professionals include:
Engineers
Security professionals
Industrial hygienists
Physical therapists
Occupational therapists
Nurse practitioners
Chiropractors
Occupational doctors
How Ergonomics Enhances Work & Safety
The association between work injury and illness is old. It is even believed that Ancient Man concerned himself with developing the right tools that allowed for the efficiency and least amount�of distress.
Now, we continue to look for ways to boost the relationship between our “tools” and�our jobs. One means to do that is to look at the risk factors in the workplace. These are able to be divided into 3 areas: physical characteristics, environmental features, and workplace hazards.
1. Physical Characteristics Of Work:
Bearing
Drive
Repetition
Duration
Recovery time
Velocity/acceleration
Heavy exertion that is dynamic
2. Segmental Vibration Environmental Characteristics Of Work:
�According to a new University of Iowa study, employees with desks that force them to stand at regular intervals stood 60 minutes more per work day than co-workers with regular desks.
Lucas Carr, an assistant professor and member of the Obesity Research and Education Initiative who worked on the study, says sitting 8 hours a day puts workers at risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes and becomes more of an issue with each passing year.
�The idea here is to really redesign the work environment, because most of us will be working for anywhere between 20 and 30 years,� says Carr. �So if somebody is sitting for 40 hours a week and for 30 years, you can imagine how those things would build up.�
Carr says doctors now recommend workers take a break from sitting at their desks to get their blood flowing at least once an hour.
He adds re-configuring work spaces could play a big role in fighting the obesity epidemic in the U.S. The study found employees with sit-stand desks burned up to 87 more calories a day and walked an additional six minutes at work than their sitting counterparts.
Carr notes the study focused on workers who had been using sit-stand desks for an average of one-point-eight years. He says, unlike an exercise bike that ends up collecting dust in the garage, workers continued using the new desks even after they had lost their novelty. Carr says if you can�t convince your boss to buy everyone a newfangled desk, there are still ways you can short circuit the negative impacts of sitting all day.
�One thing that I even recommend is for people just to drink more water,� says Carr. �By doing that it�s a natural reminder for you to get up and get away from your desk every 45 or 50 minutes and go to the restroom.�
Carr points out sedentary jobs have risen 83 percent since 1960 and now account for 43 percent of all jobs in the U.S. He says on average office workers sit more than 80 percent of the work day. So the next time your boss asks why you�re not sitting at your desk? �Sorry, doctor�s orders.�
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