N & LB Pain - Tip #1

Tip #1 - Shoulders



A frequent contributor to poor posture is "rounding" of the shoulders. The majority of people (including myself) have the tendency to keep their shoulders too far forward in relationship to the spine.

Bring those shoulders back! Imagine a stiff rod running from one shoulder, through your spine, to the other shoulder. At least once per hour stop and compare where your shoulders are in comparision to that rod. Did your shoulders roll forward and in? Put them back were they belong! I've found that putting your shoulders as far back as you can and holding them there for a five- or ten- count is a big help. As your shoulders relax from this exaggerated position they are more likely to come to rest in the correct, desired position.





Frequently our muscles have become so accustomed to maintaining an inappropriate position that we have to do some serious training to correct the problem. Simple excercises which stretch the pecs and the other muscles which move the arms forward can be a big help.

Neck and Lower Back Pain

Neck and lower back pains are common.



"Low back pain (LBP) affects at least 80% of us some time in our lives, perhaps 20-30% of us at any given time. It is usually recurrent, and subsequent episodes tend to increase in severity. It is common in individuals who lead sedentary lives and in those who engage in manual labor. It can occur at any age but is most prevalent during the third to sixth decades of life."

Neck and lower back pain are a serious problem.

"Tremendous costs are associated with LBP including lost productivity and income from work, the expense of medical, rehabilitation and surgical interventions, and the costs of disabling pain and limited daily function. Back pain is second only to upper respiratory conditions as the stated cause of work loss. The costs for treatment and compensation for LBP in industry may be greater than the total amount spent on all other industrial injuries combined."

Neck and lower back pain can be treated by a variety of means.

"LBP has been and is currently treated with almost every modality known to man including prolonged bed rest, narcotics, surgery, heat, cold, exercise, immobilization, flexion, extension, traction, massage, manipulation, mobilization, muscle relaxants, etc., etc."

One of the most common causes of neck and LBP in the U.S. today is incorrect posture.







How can I test my posture?



Stand near a wall, with your back to it, but not touching the wall. Back up until something touches. Did your behind touch first, as in the first figure in the drawing above? You may stand "booty out," flexed at the hip. Did your upper back touch first (second figure in the drawing above)? You may stand slouched backward. Now try to stand with your heels, hips, upper back, and the back of your head against a wall. Bring the back of your head against the wall without raising or dropping your chin, or arching your back. If you can't keep your heels, hips, upper back, and the back of your head comfortably against the wall (third figure in the drawing above), or if you have to crane your neck, you are too tight to stand up straight. Pain results from the resulting bad positioning and slouching your tightness creates all day, every day.

Is trying to improve my posture really worth it?


Increased strength and athletic ability (improved core).

Decreased pain.

Maintaince of good posture will dramatically improve overall health for the rest of your life.

Your voice sounds better. More lung space and better conditioning in the neck improves the quality of your voice.

Good posture boosts self-image. It makes you stand out in a crowd. Your general appearance is improved. Your clothes fit better, and you communicate dignity, balance, poise and self-confidence.

Good posture makes you look thinner. Your shoulders are back, chest is expanded and your abdomen is flatter.

Your posture affects your mood: Good posture contributes to a positive mood. Poor posture is linked to depression.



How do improve my posture?

Through a combination of constant effort and regular, directed excerises. Throughout the next couple of weeks I will be posting a series of articles on suggestions, streches and excercises for improving your overall posture. Hopefully these tips will help all of us improve and enjoy our lives a little more.





http://www.posturejac.com/posturejac/myweb.php?hls=10019

http://www.drbookspan.com/NeckPainArticle.html

http://www.vhct.org/case1699/preval_costs.htm

In case you were wondering (as I was) -

There are fewer than 336 people in the U.S. with the last name Gneiting.

There are 1,070 people in the U.S. with the last name Callister.

There are 125,336 people in the U.S. with the last name Jensen.

There are 5,992 people in the U.S. with the last name Garfield.

There are fewer than 336 people in the U.S. with the last name Crazy.

There are 336 people in the U.S. with the last name Mad.

There are fewer than 336 people in the U.S. with the last name Insane.



These numbers are estimates based off of the 1990 U.S. census. As you can see numbers don't always accurately represent the truth.

What can I say? I'm one of a kind.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

New Music Player

Thanks to everyone for their feedback! Playlist.com was the everyone's recommendation. I'm sticking all of my new playlists at the bottom of my blog so that they are easier to work with. Hopefully they'll provide a little welcome listening while you read.

Music Player?

My current music player just doesn't cut it. Does anyone have a recommendation for a better music player I could embed into my blog?

MLK day

I’m trying to keep up with my goal to post twice a week, though one of those will probably be simply fluff (writings, music, videos, etc).

Heidi now has four teeth. None of us particularly enjoyed the acquisition process but at least it is finally over. Until next tooth. Huh. Anyway, last night she only woke up once so Mommy was extremely happy. We actually were worried for a short while with her top two teeth. The left one looked like it was black. We decided to wait and see before rushing her to a dentist. Over the following days the black faded to a blue then gradually turned into healthy pink gum tissue. I asked a fellow med student about it (his brother is a dentist) and he said that babies’ gums are frequently bruised during teething. I felt really bad for our little girl. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bruise that dark.

The three-day weekend was nice. I thought it was funny that up on campus instead of calling it Martin Luther King Day it was listed as Diversity Day.




Today in lab our professor played live coverage of the Obama inauguration in the background because he “knew that we’d all rather be home watching such a historic event.” Not so much.

As a med student our family gets free access to the local community pool. Lately we’ve been going two or three times per week. It gives the kids something fun to do that tires them both out. Plus it allows Mom and Dad to swim laps (we’re getting better!). Julie gets a big kick out of Jackson’s ‘gotta impress the girls’ drive. We’ve been doing a lot of exercises to help Jackson be comfortable in the water and lay a foundation for swimming. He’s pretty good about everything but really pushes himself when Mom is around. For example, one exercise is simply to have him jump into the water (where Mom or Dad waits to catch him). He’ll jump for Dad. But when Mom shows up he is suddenly sticking his chest out and ordering Dad to back up, “I jump farther than that, Dad!” He does the same thing with running, competing with other boys, etc. It makes Julie feel very flattered. She told me that boys used to do the whole compete/posture/impress thing a lot for her in high school but she thought that it had all ended. She keeps warning herself about what her little boy will probably be like in the future but for now she is really enjoying the attention.