Health blog Category: posture
5 Ways to Relieve Back and Neck Pain
There are common causes of both back pain and neck pain. Changes in the spine’s anatomy often cause back pain. There may be lumbar disc herniation, lumbar degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis or sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Disc herniation occurs when the gel-like interior of the disc leaks outward and irritates the nerve roots. It typically causes a stabbing pain in the back of the legs and back pain. Wear and tear on the spinal discs can lead to lumbar degenerative disc disease.
Read full blogHunching over your keyboard, phone each day?
By: Devin Wurman, DPT
Many of us have sedentary jobs at a desk and/or using mobile technology for day to day communications. Think about how you sit when you do these things. How is your posture? It’s so easy for us to slip into a poor posture when we’re mindlessly reading emails or sending texts. The problem is that these poor postures are therefore creating more complaints of neck discomfort. Neck pain is no longer an ‘adult issue.’ At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, we also see a lot of young people complaining of neck discomfort, headaches, trouble standing up and other painful issues in these upper body areas.
People of all ages need to be more aware of their postures at work and at home.
Spend several hours at a computer each day?
Neck problems are becoming more common due our sedentary lifestyles. How often do we use computers and phones throughout the day? Now think about your posture whenever you use these devices. Chances are, there’s probably room for improvement there.
Posture plays a large role in maintaining neck health and limits your chance of developing problems that can negatively affect your daily activities. Issues with your neck are commonly associated with pain, headaches, and general stiffness.
Spending A Lot of Time Texting, Typing or Driving?
If you spend hours driving, texting, typing or even just sleeping in the wrong position the odds are you have either poor posture or neck pain. Spending extended periods of time in incorrect can lead to incorrect movement patterns and increase your injury risk over time. One of the easiest ways to see if you are at increased risk for a neck injury is to look at the motion that you have. We will highlight a few quick screens that you can complete to assess your own injury risk.
Read full blogRelieving the ‘Discomfort-Spasm-Discomfort Cycle’ in the Neck
A neck spasm, neck pain, and general discomfort are common complaints in the orthopedic rehab world, and we’ve certainly treated our share of patients who suffer from various conditions related to neck pain at LSTC. With the high prevalence of desk jobs, the influx of cell phone use, computer use and video gaming, as well as time spent relaxing in front of the TV, our posture certainly suffers more often than we realize. Over time, these repetitive tasks put us into a position called forward head posture, in which our heads and necks protrude forward into a flexed position.
Read full blogAddressing Back Problems Starts With Assessing the Core
Why are we focusing on your core if you’re here for a back problem? This is a question we often hear in physical therapy and with good reason. Wouldn’t you wonder why you were being instructed to strengthen a part of your body that isn’t necessarily where you’re feeling pain or discomfort? When it comes to patients who are here for back pain, part of their treatment plan involves strengthening their core. But why? Let’s talk spinal anatomy, muscular imbalances and posture.
Read full blogThe Silent Disease: Osteoporosis
Did you know that osteoporosis is known as the ‘Silent Disease’? Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, keeps too little bone or when both these things occur. It causes bones to weaken which increases the risk for fractures. Medical experts estimate that 54 million people in the United States have osteoporosis or low bone density. They say one in every two women and one in every four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
Read full blog5 Keys to a Healthy Spine
How Healthy is Your Spine?
Most of us will experience back pain or neck pain at some point in our lives. It is the price we pay for walking on two legs. If you suffer from the occasional ache or have chronic low back or neck pain, the goal is to relieve the pain, without the need for surgery. In fact, recent studies point to the fact that patients who underwent a common fusion procedure for the spine, were more likely to have a second surgery within 2 years.
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