Living the Persistent Back Pain Blues? Try Changing Your Posture!
Improve Your Posture and Relieve Your Pain with Physical Therapy!
Most people are unable to sit and stand up straight. As adolescents, many of us can recall our parents and teachers telling us that good posture was the secret to good health later in life! We all rolled our eyes back then, as this demand seemed irritating. However, we know that good posture goes beyond looks and confidence as we grow older. In fact, sitting and standing with good spinal alignment can help reduce back pain.
In showing patients how to exercise good posture, physical therapists are excellent. Your physical trainer will help you appreciate the meaning of it and give you the education you need to ensure that every day you maintain excellent posture.
It could be because of poor posture if you’re enduring back pain. Let our clinic assist you in exploring the benefits of physical therapy for back pain. To arrange an appointment with a physical therapist, contact our office today!
Some PT strategies to help you prevent back pain by developing a healthy posture are as follows:
1. Avoiding improper lifting techniques
If you constantly lift heavy objects, you definitely need to make sure you have good posture!
Good posture is a critical component of lifting objects without hurting yourself. If you lift and fail to use good posture, there is a much higher risk that you will hurt your back.
Ask your physical therapist how to maintain proper posture while lifting. They will be able to show you how to properly lift things, and also guide you through exercises to hold the right posture.
2. Enhancing blood circulation
Maintaining the proper spinal alignment means that your veins will not be as constricted by pressure on your vertebrae. There are many components of your spine that require proper circulation to operate the right way and to reform from daily wear and tear.
It might seem like a daunting task, but as your physical therapist guides you through the different physical therapy exercises and techniques that help with maintaining good posture, you will improve at keeping the alignment required for proper circulation.
3. Discovering proper posture for everyday tasks
Most of the time when we hear the term “good posture” we think of how we sit or stand, but good posture is important in everything we do!
In physical therapy, your therapist will teach you how to maintain good posture during sports and everyday activities such as running or walking.
Improving your overall posture will lessen the wear and tear you put on your spine every day. This will also minimize your risk of developing back pain from these activities.
4. Improved strength and flexibility
If you haven’t had good posture for a long period of time anyways, it’s probably best to assume that learning to maintain it isn’t going to be the easiest thing to do.
It might take time in physical therapy to gain the strength and flexibility you need to keep ideal posture and spinal alignment. According to the Mayo Clinic, “correct posture can boost your productivity and mood, as well as help you use your muscles more efficiently.”
The work you do and the effort you put in with your physical therapist to achieve your goal will lead to greater overall fitness. The more flexible you get, the stronger you’ll be, and the less likely you are to suffer from nagging back pain every day.
5. Decreasing risk of anatomical changes
Did you know that the ways in which you use your spine can actually cause changes in your anatomy? It’s true.
Sitting hunched over can cause excess stress and can eventually lead to damage of your spinal discs, muscles, joints and the nerves and blood vessels traveling through your spine.
Thankfully in most cases the damage can be reversed by physical therapy. Targeted exercises, stretches, and education can help your body learn to sit and stand correctly!
How will posture relieve my back pain?
Your spine is designed to function in a particular way. You can end up causing long-term issues each time you move, sit, or stand in ways that disturb the correct location and function of your spine.
Practicing good posture is one way you can work to alleviate back pain with the aid of a licensed physical therapist.
You can learn how to develop good posture when you start physical therapy. PT can help you discover when you are not practicing good posture and develop more safe movement habits that will help alleviate your back pain.
Contact us to get started on the path toward relief!
Chances are if you suffer from back pain, it may be the product of bad posture.
To get set up for an appointment with one of our certified physical therapists, contact our physical therapy office today!
