Everyday activities that cause Neck Pain, Back Pain and Spinal Stress

Everyday activities that cause postural stress and spinal misalignments:

1. Prolonged sitting
2. Sitting after vigorous activity
3. Lying and resting with poor posture
4. Improper lifting
5. Prolonged standing
6. Working in stooped positions

Postural stress slowly weakens and distorts the structure and function of your spine and nerve system. Postural stress progressively weakens the ligaments and discs that support the spine and can stretch and irritate the spinal cord and spinal nerves that run between the spinal bones. If you make the effort to maintain good posture throughout each day, you can significantly reduce postural stress and improve the health of your entire body!

Prolonged sitting:
Many people sit more than 8-10 hrs per day. We sit at our desks, in the car, on the bus,
at the dinner table, on the couch, etc. And we do this everyday… for years! Let’s do the math:
8 hrs/ day x 365 days year= 2920 hrs of sitting every year! Improper sitting is one of the most common causes of spinal dysfunction. On average, 1/3 of your life is spend sitting, so let’s learn how to do it right.

Rule #1: Do not slouch. Maintain the proper curves (lordosis) in your neck and back.
Keep your chin up and your head back over your shoulders. If the seat
has a backrest, use a rolled towel to support the low back.

Rule #2: Interrupt periods of prolonged sitting with motion. Move the hips forward and
back, right and left 10 times, and/or stand up and walk around.
Do this at least once every hour.

Sitting after vigorous activity:

It is very important to maintain proper spinal curves after activity because the joints of the spine undergo a loosening processes after activity. Spinal joints become misaligned easily if they are put into a slouched position after vigorous activity.
Rule #1: After vigorous activity, you should gradually cool down. Do not stop activity abruptly. Stand up right, walk around, and move your head forward andbackwards (yes), right and left (no) 10 x. Also, bend backward at the hips 10 x.When you sit down to rest, avoid slouching and maintain your spinal curves.

Lying down and resting:
Like sitting, many of us lie down to rest or sleep for 6-8 hours per day. On average, we spend 1/3 of your life in this position. Think about it… 2/3 of your life is spent either sitting or lying down. The impact on the spine is significant because both activities contribute significantly to spinal misalignments and poor posture. If you do it right, you can reduce the accumulated stress from these activities considerably.

Rule #1: Use your pillow to support your neck and head. When lying on your
back make a deep hollow in the center of your pillow to rest the back of your head. When on your side, use the pillow to keep your head and neck straight. Do not rest with head and neck in a kinked position.

Rule #2: Do not sleep on your stomach with your head turned. This places
extreme stress on the upper neck and is the cause of many problems.

Lifting:

Lifting objects with your back greatly increases the stress to your spine and discs. Everytime you lift improperly, you do a little more damage and your one step closer to having a serious spinal problem. When doing heavy lifting for prolonged periods of time, take a rest and bend forwards and backwards 10 times.

Rules for lifting:

1. stand as close to the object to be lifted as possible. Bend your knees
or use a stool if necessary. Do not reach out for objects.
2. maintain proper spinal curves
3. get a secure grip and keep the object as close to you as possible.
4. lift objects slowly off the floor with your legs.
5. once you are upright and holding the object, shift your feet to turn
and avoid twisting the lower body.

Rule summary: Keep the object close to you, do not twist the lower body, and
Maintain proper spinal curves.

Prolonged standing:

Prolonged standing causes fatigue of the postural muscles of the back. When this
happens, the curve in your low back becomes excessive and your stomach hangs out.
This is the opposite position to the slouched position.

Rules #1: Stand as tall as you can by lifting your chest up, pulling in your
stomach and slightly tightening your buttocks

Working in a stooped position:
When you work in a stooped position (ie. vacuuming, gardening, bedmaking, etc) the stress on your lower back is considerably greater then when you stand with the backstraight. This can easily lead to spinal misalignments and back pain.

Rule #1: Interrupt the stooped position at regular intervals. Stand up straight and bend backwards 10x every :30 minutes

2 ways to maintain a youthful spine and nerve system

1. Have your spine and nerve system checked regularly with chiropractic and
applied kinesiology to maintain a strong brain/body connection and

reduce structural misalignments before they become problematic.

2. Follow the rules listed above to enhance the effect of your chiropractic care, help you hold your adjustments longer, and help prevent injuries.

A Healthy Spine & Nerve System

Will Improve Your Life!!