How is technology affecting your posture and back pain?
Occupational and lifestyle stresses have become the primary cause in the onset of chronic disease. With the increase use of smartphones and computers, in combination with sedentary lifestyle, more and more people are suffering from the side effects of poor posture and ergonomics.
For every one inch of anterior head carriage in the cervical spine, the Intervertebral Discs (IVD's) withstand an extra 10 pounds of pressure. Anterior head carriage is a byproduct of myofascial imbalances that stem from an adaptation response in the nervous system. This adaptation results in the alterations in bodily posture we see on a daily basis. Since all muscles are controlled by the nervous system, restoring proper mobility and stability to regions that have become dysfunctional promotes a neurological response that relaxes the adjacent muscle tissue, increases synovial joint lubrication, and releases endorphin cascades into the blood stream resulting in higher levels of oxygen and nutrient delivery, as well as nerve conduction to and from the distal tissues.
The muscles that become neurologically hypotonic in people that spend most of their day sitting at a desk or working on a laptop are:
• Deep Neck Flexors
• Middle Trapezius
• Rhomboid Major & Minor
The hypertonic, or neurologically over-active muscles found in the same presentation are as follows:
• Sternocleidomastoid
• Suboccipital (Triangle) Muscles
• Levator Scapula
• Upper Trapezius
• Pectoralis Minor & Major
Performing the proper daily therapeutic exercises in combination with regular chiropractic adjustments has been highly successful in restoring optimal function to the tissues that are under stress from anterior head carriage and protracted shoulder girdles. Chiropractic adjustments in combination with myofascial release soft tissue therapy, has shown to be very effective in restoring proper neurological function to adhesive and over-active (hypertonic) muscle tissue, as well as, increasing the tonicity, strength, and endurance of the inhibited (hypotonic) musculature.
We can not have restored posture without restoration of proper biomechanics and neurological function to the musculoskeletal system. Improved posture not only removes pressure off of the annular fibers of the IVD's, but increases blood flow and delivery of nutrients to the tissues improving overall cellular function. This has been shown to provide relief for headaches, migraines, muscle aches, arthritis, stress, and the list continues. The stresses that our posture and myofascial imbalances place not only on our bodies physiology, but our psychological outlook, are the biomechanical underlining that maybe inhibiting you from reaching your peak performance no matter what your occupation is.
Every day is a blessing and an opportunity to do something amazing. Peak performance and your highest health potential is promoted by functional optimization of the body. Begin your walk towards a more productive pain-free workday now. Message me for more information regarding this topic and how we can work together to restore functional mobility while improving your response to pain generated by postural tendencies..
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