Fix Your Posture Fix Your Pain
Fix Your Posture Fix Your Pain
“Stand up straight!” has been a refrain from parents throughout the ages, but is it really that important? Actually – yes, it is!
Many people assume maintaining proper posture is about appearance: looking tall and confident. In reality, improper posture can cause pain in your neck and upper back and put pressure on your spine, leading to an increased injury risk.
But what exactly is proper posture? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that it’s more complicated than merely standing up straight. Instead, it’s more about finding the right spinal alignment for your body – and that’s something the physical therapists at Excel Physical Therapy can help you with!
If you’re struggling with persistent neck or back pain, it may be time to visit us for a postural assessment. We’ll help pinpoint any impairments or imbalances in your spine that might be causing problems and then provide strategies for maintaining your postural alignment throughout the day.
Call us to schedule an appointment for your initial consultation!
Understanding Proper Posture: Movement and Awareness is Key
Let’s get this out of the way first: There’s no universal “ideal posture” that will work for everyone. Even common advice like “stand up straight” isn’t particularly helpful: for one, no one’s spine is ever perfectly straight since it has a natural curve pattern. For another, you don’t spend your entire life standing still.
Rather than aiming for a non-existent “perfect” posture, you want to focus on two things:
- Postural Awareness: People don’t set out to have bad posture. You might start the day telling yourself you’re not going to slouch – but then, as you get busy with other tasks, posture becomes the last thing on your mind. By staying more aware of your posture, you can more easily adapt to the various positions you have to hold throughout the day.
- Avoid Prolonged Postures: Your body wants to move. Holding the same posture for extended periods (even if you’re sitting up straight and have everything in alignment) is still going to cause problems! Rather than aiming for a “perfect” posture, make sure to change your positions throughout the day. Alternate between sitting and standing. Switch positions. Get up and move around. In short – try to stay as active as possible.
The Relationship Between Posture and Pain
Neck and back pain have several potential causes and contributing factors. Improper posture is often one of them.
When you lose your postural awareness and start to slouch, it puts extra strain on the muscles that support your spine, particularly the muscles in your neck and upper back. This can lead to overuse injuries that cause pain or restricted mobility.
Remaining in prolonged postures (particularly sitting) also puts extra strain on your back muscles. When you get up and move around – even if it’s just for a few minutes – you relieve that pressure. Staying active also helps strengthen the muscles of your back and core, which helps prevent common musculoskeletal injuries that can cause pain and dysfunction.
Physical Therapy’s Role in Improving Posture
When you visit us for your appointment, here’s what we’ll do to help you improve your posture and reduce your back and neck pain:
- We start with a comprehensive postural assessment. We’ll take a look at your posture when you’re sitting, standing, and moving, looking for potential areas of dysfunction. We’ll also take a complete health history and might run some additional screens, too, testing for strength, mobility, balance, and more.
- We help with any acute pain. Manual therapy techniques and targeted mobility exercises can help relieve your pain and help you get your body’s function back.
- We help strengthen any weak muscles: Targeted strengthening exercises will help correct any muscular imbalances stemming from improper posture, providing better support and stability to your spine.
- We offer personalized postural corrections: The final piece of the puzzle helps ensure lasting relief. We’ll provide a customized postural improvement plan that speaks to your unique needs and impairments.
Start Improving Your Posture Today!
Fixing improper posture isn’t a one-and-done affair, but a visit to Excel Physical Therapy can help you get started. Call us to schedule your appointment today!
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Come back to Excel Physical Therapy and book your session today!
Spring Is Running Season!
Are you looking forward to starting running again after a long winter? At Excel Physical Therapy, our therapists understand running injuries, and we will make sure you run pain-free this spring!
Runners are often misled into believing unproven solutions to avoiding pain and injury. Not many people know that the number-one risk factor for runners to sustain an injury is having had an injury in the last 12 months.
The other most common risk factors are:
- Running experience of 0–2 years
- Restarting running after extended rest
- Overtraining (i.e., more than 40 miles per week)
To ensure you can get back to running or increasing your mileage without pain or injury, start with an injury evaluation and a biomechanical assessment to identify any factors that could contribute to pain or injury.
Our therapists will take a thorough history to understand your training schedule, previous injuries, and overall health status. We use this information to create an individualized program to alleviate pain and get you back to running without limits.
Request an appointment at Excel Physical Therapy today!
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Success Story
“Stephanie is knowledgeable, concerned, and encouraging. My therapy sessions brought significant relief from my pain, along with the recommended exercises I do at home. The entire staff is so cheerful and accommodating. This was a great experience!”
—Chris T.
Service Spotlight: Running/Gait Analysis
Did you spend the cold winter months hibernating instead of staying active? It’s happened to the best of us–but with spring just around the corner, now’s a great time to start preparing for your own winter thaw.
We suggest you get started by scheduling a running or gait analysis at Excel Physical Therapy. These comprehensive assessments evaluate how your body moves when you walk and run and allow us to pinpoint any biomechanical issues that might set you up for injury.
What To Expect During a Running or Gait Analysis
During your session, we’ll record you walking or running on a treadmill. A video recording lets us go in-depth in our assessment and walk you through any particular issues.
What Are We Looking For?
It varies from patient to patient, but we’ll generally examine how muscles and joints interact during movement. We’ll consider your overall posture, stride length, foot strike patterns, and more.
Ultimately, we’re trying to identify areas of imbalance, weakness, or inefficient mechanics that can increase your injury risk or (for runners) impede your performance.
What Happens Next?
Using the data from the analysis, we’ll create a customized program to address any problem areas. Again, this varies from patient to patient.
For example, If you have an awkward walking pattern, we’ll guide you through gait training exercises to correct it. If we suspect an underlying issue (such as muscular weakness), we’ll also work with you to correct that. This will help you move more efficiently, making it easier to participate in your favorite springtime activities, such as gardening or hiking.
Call Today to Get Started
Whether you’re a seasoned runner hoping to beat a new PR this spring or just someone who wants to get more active in the warmer weather, a running or gait analysis can make a difference. Call us to schedule an appointment.
Healthy Recipe:
Garlic Parmesan-Stuffed Mushrooms
- 15 mushrooms
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C). Cut the stems off of each of the mushrooms and finely chop them, setting the mushroom caps aside for later. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the chopped stems with the garlic, salt, and pepper for about six to eight minutes, constantly stirring. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine cooked stems, cream cheese, breadcrumbs, half of the parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper, mixing until evenly combined. Space out the mushroom caps evenly on a baking sheet, upside down. Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese mixture on top of each mushroom. Top each mushroom with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley, then serve!
