Why do people come into our office and seek care? PAIN You take steps to solve issues in your life when you are in pain. At MHWC, our goal is to help our clients feel less pain certainly, but we have our eye on helping people achieve Better Health, Naturally. That is why we focus on getting to the root of pain.
Our bodies keep a scorecard of every slip and fall or accident we have ever had. Slips, trips, and falls create scar tissue in our muscles and joints. The degree of that scar tissue depends on the severity of the trauma and the care we have been provided. The result can be a consistent ache or pain, or it can show up as reoccurring pain when stressed.
Repetitive Trama
However, the most common cause of pain is repetitive trauma and related to our daily posture. How we sit, how we stand and how we sleep can be causing what is referred to as micro-trauma. Micro-trauma is a small seemingly innocent stress on a muscle or a joint that accumulates over time. How we sit is not just a one-time event, but rather something that happens daily, often for hours at a time. The same holds true for how we stand and the positions that we sleep.
How Is Your Posture?
If you are experiencing reoccurring pain, it is important that you look at your posture. The most common issue is a forward head posture with an associated increased curve in the mid back. This postural deviation occurs because of head forward posture activities, such as tilting your head forward to look at your cell phone or your computer. After a self-evaluation, do find that you have a head tilt, head forward or increased upper back curve or one shoulder or hip higher than the other?
What You Can Do
If you spend your day sitting a desk in front of a computer or have been sitting on the couch all day scrolling on your phone, there are some exercises you can easily do from your chair. Our first suggestion is called The Chin-Tuck. This exercise is great for those with a slightly head forward posture and can be performed throughout the day. It is designed to help you feel a release in the tension in your neck.
Use two fingers to push your chin directly backwards: no backwards head tilt. Push back to feel end-range of movement and hold for a second or two. Do this 5 times.
If you have an increased upper back curve, our second exercise suggestion is the perfect way to find some relief. The Stretch-for-the-sky is great to help you straighten your upper back.
Put your hands up over your head and stretch for the sky
Then rotate your hands forward with your arms slightly to the side
As you reach up and outward, squeeze your shoulder blades together
If you have major concerns about your posture or if you are dealing with chronic recurring pain, we can help! Give us a call or come in and schedule an appointment. We would love to help you get to the root of your pain issues and help you move in the direction of Better Health, Naturally.