Posts Tagged ‘back pain’
The Importance of Good Posture
It’s a great time to be alive, isn’t it? Science and technology have literally put the world at our fingertips. And, in addition to the unlimited access we all have to information and communication, there are computer games, video games, and round-the-clock TV shows. Unfortunately, the “pros” of most things arrive hand-in-hand with the “cons.” Now, there are plenty of “cons” to be addressed here, but as a chiropractor, I’m going to focus on the adverse effect that our bad posture is having on our musculoskeletal system, not only while we’re engaging in these activities, but even after the work and play is done. All you need to do is to take a look at the majority of teenagers to see that posture, in general, is in a slump.
Why is posture so important? Poor posture causes headaches, neck pain, and back pain, just for openers. And, since the back bone is (eventually) connected to the hip bones and knee bones, bad posture can create a lot of painful movement from your head to your toes.
Joe Donofrio, dean of clinical services at Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, offers some great posture tips. Check them out at goupstate.com
Your Chiropractor Santa Barbara Can Help Your Low Back Pain
Your Chiropractor Santa Barbara wants you to know that if you’re suffering from low back pain, you’re not alone. Low back pain bothers a large majority of people, an astonishing 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its pervasiveness. However, contrary to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the solution. The majority of back pain won’t leave on its own. Many times, if your pain goes away, it is usually because your body has compensated for the problem and, thus creating new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! If you want to eliminate your back pain for good (and who wouldn’t?), you need to seek the advice of a back pain authority, like your chiropractor.
Many times back pain is a mystery to the majority of people who experience it, and chiropractors are experts at solving that mystery. Why is it that the majority back pain sufferers have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of their problem? The answer is that the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences generate most back pain.
These factors eventually add up and cause stresses and imbalances on the spine causing subluxations that can become serious back conditions. The process is not unlike the front end of your car being out of alignment. As you choose to drive, there is unbalanced wear and tear on your tires. If you chose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blew.” The function of the spine is threatened when your spine is misaligned. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as effortless as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that produces back injury. When this takes place, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm in order to stabilize the stressed or injured tissues of the back.
With regard to knowledge of conditions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and effective treatment for all muscular-skeletal problems. They not only offer welcomed relief if you are suffering from back pain, but they know what will help you to avoid further back pain. As an adjunct to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will provide you with a personal exercise strategy and recommend other healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.
Chiropractor Santa Barbara: If You're Interested in Avoiding Golf Injuries, Be Prepared!
Chiropractor Santa Barbara wants you to know that the best way to avoid sports injuries, including golf injuries, is to be prepared. Injuries are very commonplace with any sort of sport. It is beneficial to discover what injury is apt to happen in a particular sport and then to do what it takes to avoid it.
Naturally, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Therefore, it’s advantageous to take good care of your body to make getting injured less probable, or less traumatic. The most important thing that you can do is to be certain that you have the proper fitness level prior to starting to play a sport, such as golf. By cultivating a healthy lifestyle, making sure your joints are mobile and your muscles are limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures while actively playing, and allowing yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you will probably keep your body safe from injury.
It isn’t only amateur golfers who experience injuries. It has been estimated that close to one-third of pro golfers play injured at any given time. Fortunately, general good health and fitness can decrease the number of injuries that you may acquire and might conceivably prevent them completely.
Good body strength in the muscle areas most employed when golfing is crucial. However, before you attempt to build muscle strength, it’s essential to make sure your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A injury-free golf swing hinges on your spine’s capacity to adequately rotate effectually. Back injuries are the most widespread kind of injuries experienced by golfers. To be certain that your spine is in proper alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see your chiropractor. Chiropractic care can make a big difference in helping you to avert back injury.
Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Being prepared to play your game is essential to a safe, injury-free day on the green. You can warm up your muscles and make injuring them less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Flexibility in all parts of the body can be developed fairly quickly as the result of full body range of motion (ROM) exercises. In addition, elastic band conditioning affords targeted golf range of motion improvements and can advance needed strength in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, such as your chiropractor, are adding elastic band training to their golf conditioning programs because the bands provide dynamic resistance that general weight lifting does not provide.
Many golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. Although golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly identical injuries, there is a minute difference between them. Tennis elbow impinges the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow impinges the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single violent action, such as (in golf) striking the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Although, it generally is produced by repetitive stress from smaller shocks. Furthermore, it can come upon those who abruptly begin to play too much golf. As a case in point, if players that generally play golf once or twice a month elect to play in a tournament, they are potentially at risk for contracting the injury.
Golf makes exclusive requirements on our body. The game is ordinarily longer than many other sports and that can cause fatigue. Bad posture and reduced coordination are normally the consequences of a fatigued body. Together, these two components can create a number of injuries. Additionally, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury as a result of the constant swinging of the golf clubs. Just as great care should be taken to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body properly between games.
A surprising injury sometimes connected with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, since it a problem that happens as the result of repetitive stress, a numerous amount of games of golf played over several months repetitively may produce this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a serious injury producing incapacitation and on occasion requiring surgery. However, chiropractic care and, sometimes the use of a brace will help the condition if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, discovers it at an early stage.
The majority of golfers appear to think that injuries are merely an inescapable part of a golfer’s life. But, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, appropriate exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and maintaining a a suitable fitness level, and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can assisting in making injuries far less a part of your golfing experience.