Chapel Hill Chiropractor | Chapel Hill chiropractic care | NC | Research

Good Posture is more than just a Tagline!

This is a recent article from the Wall Street Journal documenting the importance of good posture.  I have posted the full article link below, enjoy!

It turns out your mother was right: good posture does matter.

A growing number of medical complaints -- ranging from headaches and neck pain to lower back, knee and feet problems -- may be solved by simple improvements in posture. Doctors around the country say they are seeing an increasing number of posture-related health problems, mostly stemming from the fact that more people are spending hours at a time hunched over computer keyboards.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB106790167937402000.html

Attention Runners-We Need to Talk About That Pain in Your Butt!

Recent case-study research indicates favorable outcomes for long-distance runners, sprinters, and athletes using hill-training as part of their cardio routine.  The hamstring is used to decelerate extension of the leg or more accurately the knee.  Athletes experiencing pain in the upper hamstring or glut area (often described in the area he/she sits on) can be the result of improper stretching, overtraining, or lack of conditioning.  In any case, recent research indicates a possible solution with spinal manipulation to loosen the sacroiliac joint, as well as follow-up proprioceptive and strength exercises.

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (2011) 10, 93-99; High Hamstring Tendinopathy"  

Is Back Surgery Your Best Option?

Conservative care continues to be one of the best values for treatment of lower back pain.  David Spodick, MD professor of medicine from the Univ. of Massachusetts says that surgery is ". . . the sacred cow of our health-care systems. . ."  Deyo found the mean hospital cost for surgical decompression to cervical fusions ranged from $23,724-$80,888 and have seen a 15-fold increase in the past six years!  If conservative care is an option for your condition, spinal manipulation along with posture rehabilitation is certainly a more affordable outcome.

Outrageous Costs for Back Pain

Allen, et. al reported that in 2010 spine-related health care expenditures exceeded $97.5 billion.  It was reported by McMorland, et al that in 2010 more tan 250,000 patients underwent ELECTIVE lumber discectomies for treatment of lumbar pain in the U.S.  

For more read Allen, RT.  The Economics of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: the Value Perspective.  Spine, 2010;35 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21160403 and 

McMorland G et al.  Manipulation or Microdisckectomy for Sciatica: JMPT;2010;33  http://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(10)00211-3/abstract

Six Months of Posture Training Proves Effective for Reducing Lower Back Pain

-Spine, July 15, 2008, Vol. 33, No. 16

Manual Therapy Can Increase Respiratory Function

Journal of Manipulative Physiotherapy, September, 2007

By creating more intersegmental motion in the spine, you allow more air into the lungs and thus increase a functional lung capacity.

People with Back Pain Move Differently-- Even when they're not in Pain!

A new study published in Spine demonstrates people with chronic low back pain really do move differently from the rest of us, and also cannot balance as well. 

When compared to pain-free individuals, and even in the absence of pain, low back pain patients  used their lumbar spine muscles less,  impairing their ability to control their posture and balance.   The researchers hypothesized that "motion of the lumbar spine is altered in people with chronic LBP, and this would be associated with compromised control of postural stability in response to unexpected perturbation".

Researchers found LBP patients were less efficient at maintaining balance and controlling their posture when they moved their arms, supporting the StrongPosture^TM concept that postural disuse atrophy of deep stabilizing spinal muscles like the multifidus weakens balance, leading to falls as well as weak posture.  The investigators concluded that "the quality of balance control is compromised in LBP patients and that this is associated with poor use of spinal motion as a component of the postural strategy."Changes in Lumbar Movement in People With Low Back Pain Are Related to Compromised Balance,Mok, Brauer, Hodges,et. al, Spine January 2011

Why Sucking In Your Stomach Harms Your Health

Three Steps to Adjust Your Posture for Great Health

Do you suck in your stomach? Or maybe the better question is, do you know anyone who doesn’t?  

Many people mistakenly believe that holding their stomach muscles tight not only makes them look more trim and fit, but also helps them stand straight and tall. But sucking in your stomach muscles makes it impossible to breathe correctly which in turn prevents you from having good posture. Poor posture leads to a host of other problems, including a sore neck and shoulder muscles, poor balance, arthritis and injuries. Indirectly, the shallow breathing that results from such a stance also can lead to anxiety and even lowered self-esteem.

I discussed all this with Steven Weiniger, DC, a chiropractor in Atlanta, former delegate to the White House Conference on Aging and author of the book Stand Taller -- Live Longer. According to Dr. Weiniger, better posture leads to better health all around. By learning to breathe deeply "into our bellies," we can resolve many common health complaints. Though that sounds like simple advice, many people find it to be quite a challenge! . . . Want to read more?

http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=100003061