The Cardiologist's Wife

Do You Suffer From Back And Neck Pain?

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on July 24, 2012 ][ In Medical and Health Information ]

If you are a regular reader, you know that I have been experiencing back problems this summer and that I have had similar problems since my early teens.  No one ever really tells me the cause of these problems but I suspect that most, if not all, have been the result of poor posture, not performing some tasks such as lifting in the proper manner and lack of muscle strength.  Back and neck pain can be debilitating and prevent you from doing simple day to day activities.  My pain was there from the time I got up until I went to bed and anti-inflamatories didn’t always help much.  This time I have done a bit of research into the causes and prevention of back and neck pain.  I am more motivated than ever to prevent it from happening again and I’ll share what finally worked for me.  Even if you have never had neck or back pain, read on so you can prevent it from happening to you.

 

Most people have poor posture but don’t even realize it.  We slump on the sofa, prop up on pillows reading in bed, cradle a phone between our ear and shoulder and hunch over our desk at work.  Our backs and necks get out of their natural alignment so no wonder we hurt.  Poor posture can affect your spine, shoulders, hips, knees and feet.  Poor posture is a habit worth breaking.  Here are some problems caused by the way we sit, stand and walk.

 

Poor posture can cause:

fatigue, (our muscles get tired of working harder than they should have to)

headaches (your head juts forward causing tension and strain in the neck)

back and neck pain, especially in the low back

restriction of natural movement

muscle strain

shallow breathing (hunching or rounding your shoulders restricts the lungs)

herniated discs, (you really don’t want to have trouble with your discs)

 

There are several factors which contribute to poor posture: stress, obesity (yet another problem of being overweight, the stress it puts on your skeletal frame), pregnancy, weak muscles, tight muscles, falls or accidents and even some sports (especially if you don’t learn good technique and develop all your muscles).  Thursday we will explore some of the ways you can improve your posture by simply standing and sitting properly, exercises and stretching you can do to strengthen your muscles and even things you can buy to support your body.  In the meantime, avoid these bad habits that contribute to poor posture.

 

 

Slouching with shoulders hunched or rounded.

Lying on the sofa or bed with your head and shoulders partially propped up with pillows so you can read or watch TV.

Standing with a swayback or too much inward curve in your lower back.

Cradling a phone between your neck and shoulder.

Spending too much time looking down.

Not using lumbar support when sitting.

Wearing high heels too often which puts your whole body in an unnatural position.

Upadated on July 24, 2012