Over 80 percent of Australians will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Often, this pain is because of fatigued and overworked back muscles. Why do these muscles in our back get so tired and sore? We have forgotten the proper ways to sit, stand, move, bend, drive, cook, and brush our teeth. Instead of using our legs and spine properly, our sitting lifestyle has brought us to new levels of bending, slouching, and living in chronic hip flexion. This new lifestyle leads to the incorrect use of many muscles, one of the most important being the gluteal muscles, or “glutes”. The combination of these 3 large muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) is extremely powerful. These muscles are integral to actions such as climbing stairs, getting out of a car, and standing us upright after bending over. Without the correct use of these muscles, we “overuse” the muscles in our middle and lower back to compensate. Awakening the gluteals in a productive way can take a lot of pressure off those poor back muscles. Let the back relax while the glutes do their proper job. A combination of targeted stretches and exercises can help bring these important gluteal muscles back to life. Here are 3 exercises you can do in the privacy of your own home, with no equipment, that can help get your glutes (and hamstrings) fired up again: 1. Pelvic curl and bridge-
Clam shell-
Single leg deadlift (more advanced)-
And that's it! Some simple exercises you can do at home to help take the pressure off your lower back. Of course, if you are having ongoing concerns with back pain, it is always best to get checked by a health professional. Good luck!
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If I asked a group of people if they suffered from any pain or discomfort, the majority would say ‘yes’. Pain is so common these days and I constantly encounter complaints related to the lower back. Without some solid prevention strategies, the number of people suffering from this problem will continue to grow. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, a study examining mortality or poor health as a result of diseases placed low back pain as the sixth most troublesome condition in 1990. As of 2010, low back pain jumped to third place. Most other western nations are no different. You read that correctly, as of 2010, low back pain ranked 3rd! I'm going to jump right to it and mention 3 habits you need to change if you want to reduce lower back pain. While this isn’t the only list, nor does it completely cover everything involved it’s a great start to get you on a mission toward a more comfortable, pain free future.
1. You sit too often Most of us know that sitting isn’t our friend. The problem is we still do it for long periods because life often demands it. You may sit during your meal times, on the ride to work, and while at your job. Like many, you may be sitting for 8-10 hours or more per day. If you’re concerned about your lower back, you need to start standing and moving around more often. If you are sitting in poor alignment for this amount of hours, your risk of incurring a serious problem increases. 2. You exercise with poor form or not at all Whenever you exercise, pay attention to the way you’re performing your techniques and the position of your body. There’s a good chance the way you’re exercising and the kinds of activities you might be doing in the gym are contributing to an insidious problem. If you don’t exercise, this is your invitation to get cracking because exercise in proper alignment is beneficial for maintaining the integrity of your spine, as well as the rest of your body. It can also improve coordination, and develop proper posture and muscle balance. 3. You don’t pay attention to your body alignment during your daily routine Sleeping, eating, washing the dishes, walking, and a host of other regular activities are often done in poor alignment. You should start thinking more about what you do on a consistent basis. What position do you sleep in? When you eat do you hunch forward? What is your body doing while you’re working? Pay special attention to anything you do daily, and mind your body alignment. While this short list is not a call for you to scrutinize every little activity, I implore you to pay closer attention to what you’re doing and start making changes today. Lower back pain is unpleasant and far too common. Small but regular changes can make a big difference! Almost everyone will experience lower back and/or neck pain at some point in their lives, even if just in the form of a slight neck twinge after sleeping in an odd position. Spinal pain of the thoracic region (the upper & middle part of your back) is less common, however you might be surprised to discover how important this part of the body can be when it comes to pain and injury. What is it?
The thoracic region refers to the part of the spine that is surrounded by the rib cage. It consists of 12 vertebrae with discs that sit between each of them. The thoracic spine isn’t an area that you might associate much with movement, however, this area can account for a surprising amount of flexibility, particularly in rotation. With joint attachments both between each side of the 12 vertebrae and a rib on either side, the thoracic spine has almost more individual joints than you can count. If each of these joints is not regularly moved through their full range they can tighten up and lose flexibility. This stiffness can become quite significant over time. Why is it important? Many people may not even notice this lack of movement, primarily because the neck and lower back provide much more range and can usually compensate for any loss of thoracic flexibility to complete everyday tasks. When there is no movement occurring in the thoracic region, this means that the structures of the joints in other regions are pushed closer to their limits of range, particularly during rotation. This results in more compression and stress on these joints and the structures surrounding them, such as nerves, blood vessels and muscles. Thoracic stiffness can be a significant risk factor for neck and lower back pain. This can also reduce the mobility of the chest wall, which can result in less efficient breathing mechanics and, in extreme cases, even reduced exercise tolerance. Thoracic spine movement is aslo important for normal shoulder function, as well as maintaining good posture. How can physiotherapy help? Your physiotherapist is able to assess your thoracic mobility and help you with treatments to improve your range of motion, both with manual therapy and home exercises. They may even help improve your thoracic flexibility as part of a treatment plan for neck and lower back pain. A posture improvement exercise program is also often required to improve the alignment of your thoracic spine and alleviate joint compression and muscle tightness. An article in Spine Health by Vijay Vad, MD, a sports medicine physician, states that "unsupported postures cause the loads on your spine to disperse incorrectly, weakening the tissues in your lower back. As a result, the intricate network of muscles, discs, and joints in your back tend to be pushed beyond their tolerable limit, causing pain." Likewise, a sudden injury from lifting a heavy object incorrectly or in bad alignment can cause immediate back pain and dysfunction. When you have poor posture, several areas of stress may develop within your muscle tissue, spinal joints (lumbar facets), and discs. These stresses may be relieved once the offending posture is corrected or may continue to accumulate, slowly weakening the affected structure, for example:
Changing from a habitual incorrect posture may take time and mindful awareness. Here are a few tips on how to maintain good posture while walking, sitting, and lifting... Walk tall. While walking, it is important to look straight ahead and to keep your head balanced above your spine. Keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. Make sure to land on your heel and then gently roll forward to push off the front of your foot. With each step, a gentle spinal rotation must be achieved by reaching the opposite arm forward. Sit with support and get up every hour. While sitting and working on an office chair, keep your back flush against your chair, your head over your spine, your shoulders rolled back, and shoulder blades down. Bend your arms at a 75 to 90-degree angle at the elbows. Your legs should be hip distance apart with both feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor, use a footrest. Place a small pillow or rolled-up towel to support your lower back and maintain the lumbar curve. Aim to get up every hour and walk a short distance to relieve pressure from your spine. Lift carefully. To lift a heavy object from the floor, squat down in front of the object by keeping a straight back and bending your knees. Hold the object close to your chest while you straighten your knees to stand up. To lift lighter objects, take support from a table or a counter with one hand, bend down at your hip (keeping a straight back), and raise one leg backward for counterbalance. Use the other hand to lift the object. This technique is called the golfer’s lift and is especially useful for repetitive lifting activities. In a medically reviewed article from 2021, the website WebMD has listed commonly accepted benefits of having better posture. These are listed below. It also notes... "Our modern lifestyles may contribute to poor posture. Looking down at our phones or sitting at a desk for several hours a day working on a computer changes the way we hold ourselves. You may notice that you are slumped forward when performing these activities, rather than sitting or standing up straight." Benefits of Good Posture
Good posture isn’t just about how you present yourself. Having poor posture can actually affect your physical and mental health. 1. Better mood and energy. One of the best benefits of good posture is the way that you feel about yourself. Improving your posture can help you stay focused and more energized throughout the day. This can help improve your mood too. Research also suggests that good posture can lead to more self-confidence. When you carry yourself well and feel good about yourself, you’re less likely to experience depressive thoughts. This can give you more self-esteem and a better feeling of pride and confidence in yourself. 2. Bone, joint, and muscle health. As mentioned, your posture depends on your muscles and bones. When you align your spine correctly, you put less stress on your joints and bones. This can lead to less overall pain or reduced chances of developing problems like osteoarthritis. Even though there are tons of exercises out there to help you improve your core muscle strength, doctors say that practicing proper posture is one of the best ways to help tone this muscle group. 3. Better breathing and fewer headaches. When you sit or stand up straight with your shoulders back, you’ll find that it’s easier to breathe. There’s more room to open up your chest for deeper breaths. Practicing poor posture, such as when you’re slouching over, can cause tension in your shoulders and neck. This can lead to headaches in your forehead or the back of your skull. 4. Improved spine and neck health. By practicing proper posture, you help reduce the risk of back and neck pain. Slouching or hunching at a desk can affect the way your spine grows. Back pain is actually one of the most common reasons why people miss work. If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time, standing properly can help you fight back against fatigue and leg pain or cramps. This is an excellent question. Think about how you sit during the day. Is your head forward or over your body? Are your shoulders and spine rounded forward, or back and straight? Are your feet flat on the floor under your knees or out in front of you? It can be hard to notice the positioning of your body throughout the day, so you'll need to think about it. Another question is, after sitting or standing for a while, do you start to have aches and pains in your back, neck, or shoulders? If yes, then it could be posture related, and be worth getting assessed professionally. My back aches when I sit for a long time, does that mean I have bad posture?
Possibly. Back ache can be an indicator of bad posture, but not always. Back ache or back pain can be caused by many things and is unfortunately very common. Bad posture itself can be contributing factor to many issues, from headaches to back pain, and breathing problems in some cases. To determine what is causing your back ache, several factors would need to be considered. What type of chair are you sitting in and how supportive is it? How strong are your stabilizing muscles and are they properly supporting you? What position are you sitting in? Are there any other contributing factors to your back pain? As you can see, this can be a complex question to answer. Can I improve my posture? Absolutely! Posture can be improved with a combination of strengthening weakened muscles and stretching tight muscles. The trick is knowing which muscles to focus on. As a general tip for strengthening, exercises that generally have a pulling motion, like rows, can be very helpful in bringing the shoulders back to improve posture. Pulling exercises focus on back muscles which tend to be weak in people with bad posture. Weak back muscles in combination with tight chest or front of the shoulder muscles tend towards a more rounded shoulder posture. If this is you, you can try to a back exercise every other day to maintain strong postural muscles, and stretch your chest/pectoral muscles daily. Of course, for a more specific exercise program for your particular posture, you would need to be properly assessed, preefrably by a posture specialist. Do I have to keep my back straight all the time to have good posture? In a word, no. Nobody has perfect posture all day. The trick is to practice sitting in a good, comfortable position throughout the day. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to practice good sitting posture every hour. For five minutes at a time, try to maintain that position. Also, there is nothing better for your posture than to get up and move, so get out of that desk chair every 30 minutes. It is natural for you to slowly go back into your default posture because that position is more familiar to your body and requires much less effort for you to stay there. But by practicing a good posture throughout the day, you are slowly creating a new default for your body. You become better at maintaining that new position for a longer period of time, particularly if you also exercise to strengthen those postural muscles. 1. Don't be a slouch It adds to the stress on your spine. That puts a strain on the bones, muscles, and joints you need to hold your neck and back in place. But poor posture isn't just bad for your back. A constant slump compressess your internal organs and makes it harder for your lungs and digestive system to work. Over time, that’ll make it hard to digest food or get enough air when you breathe. 2. Straighten up
A good path to better posture is to focus on standing tall. You'll feel better and look better. Pretend you’re standing against a wall to measure your height. Hold your head straight and tuck in your chin. Your ears should be over the middle of your shoulders. Stand with your shoulders back, knees straight, and belly tucked in. Straighten up so you feel like your head stretches toward the sky. 3. Don't slump at your desk It's comfortable to slouch, but it’s a posture no-no. Instead, sit all the way back in your chair. Place a small, rolled-up towel or lumbar cushion behind your lower back to protect your spine's natural curve. Bend your knees at a right angle and keep your feet flat on the floor. 4. Beware of "tech neck" On your smartphone a lot? Take a minute to stretch your neck. When you tilt your head down to check messages it really strains your spine. Over the course of a day (or a year!) that can have a big effect. To mix it up, lift the phone up and move your eyes more, not just your head down all the time. 5. Driving posture counts too Again, it's might be comfortable to recline during a long drive, but it isn’t great for your posture. Instead, consider sitting more upright. THave your your knees slightly bent, they should be at hip level or a little above. It's also good to put a pillow or rolled-up towel behind your lower back for support. 6. Save your high heels for special nights out They might look good, but they’re not good for you. High heeled shoes tilt your pelvis forward, which over-arches your lower back. That can put pressure on spinal joints and nerves, which can cause back pain. They also put more weight through your knees. Choose a lower heel for daily wear. 7. Sleep in a better alignment We spend a lot of hours in bed. Choose a firm mattress that helps hold your spine's natural shape. If you're a side sleeper, bend your knees slightly but don't hug them. Your pillow height should keep your head so it's level with your spine. Back sleepers should avoid big pillows and opt for a smaller one. 8. Exercise and keep your weight down Too much belly weight puts added stress on your back by pulling your pelvis forward. You also need strong muscles to support your spine. A well-designed workout plan will keep your body and spine in good shape, and that's really important. Keep your nutrition good too. Correct posture and alignment, especially while sitting for prolonged periods, is essential for office workers in order to prevent work related pain and injuries. Admittedly, most of us sit with poor posture at some point, but when a person has to adopt their sitting position for long periods of time, often day in and day out, poor health issues can result. Some consequences of prolonged incorrect sitting posture…
- Headaches - Neck pain and spasm - Interscapular/thoracic pain and stiffness - Lower back pain - Muscular tension throughout the shoulder girdle - Wrist, forearm or elbow pain - Potential for lumbar disc irritation/bulging What to do about it… Many people admit they know they have poor posture, but don’t know what to do about it. This is where education becomes crucial. Correct workstation setup is very simple to teach and the most effective preventative tool we have in helping people avoid the above potentially disabling problems. At Perth Posture Centre we are well trained and experienced in educating patients about workstation setup, postural corrective exercises and manual therapy that will alleviate any problems that may have arisen from poor office work habits. We use a combination of soft tissue massage, trigger point release, spinal mobilisation, dry needling (acupuncture) and exercises to stretch and strengthen anti-gravity muscles as well as improving alignment when we are faced with these workers. As usual, early detection and referral for treatment is the key. |
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