As a Portland Chiropractor I am interested in helping as many men and women as I can, and my patients in particular, to invigorate their back muscles in addition to improving their overall balance and well-being. Because, let’s face it, back pain isn’t “necessary.” Your body is innately designed for motion–stride, stroll, and frolic. You are even “structurally” designed to do certain tasks easily. But, today, it’s hard not to ask our body to function in ways that aren’t good for our overall well-being and more often than not cause pain, especially back pain. For instance, due to the type of work that many of us do, we frequently find that we are sitting with poor posture in one position, especially in a computer chair, for extended periods of time during the day. Are you someone like this? Back pain is often caused by this kind of “unnatural” position. In order for you to avoid back pain, it may be necessary for you to modify the way that you are sitting.
The perfect answer to preventing back pain due to sitting too long or in an improper position is to use an ergonomic chair. This kind of “posture-improving” chair can usually assist in preventing back pain from happening or in relieving existing back pain almost right away. You may be wondering why. The explanation is that an ergonomic chair puts your spine into proper alignment. Of course, such chairs tend to be quite costly. So, you might want to consider making a chair of your own using a Pilates ball. This kind of chair will usually cost about $15, and the ball can be found at many department stores in the exercise section. A Pilates ball can do astounding things for your back!
But, before you attempt to naturally strengthen back muscles and improve your balance in a healthy way, you must get out of pain, and that’s where I come in. Through the gentle manipulation of the segments of your spine, as an experienced Portland Chiropractor, I can help to realign areas that have been tugged and pulled, and relieve stress on muscles that have been working overtime while you’ve been working nine to five! It’s time for a few simple changes in our sitting habits once you are feeling pain-free.
So, let’s get back to talking about that “do-it-yourself” but “just-as-effective” ergonomic chair. As mentioned, and excellent way for you to get your back back in shape is to sit on a Pilates ball whenever you’re working at the computer. First of all, it forces you to sit correctly and to adjust your posture so that you are not slouching and putting your spine into an unnatural curve. Secondly, it helps to build up your core as you maintain your balance on the Pilates ball throughout your work day.
As a Portland Chiropractor, I stand by this motto for better back health: “Straighten, then strengthen.” Let me help get your back in action! Call today!
One of the major health problems facing our country today is the epidemic of obesity. Unfortunately, experts on obesity are turning toward an unsustainable and potentially dangerous solution to this problem. According to a recent
As a chiropractor I laud that benefits of exercise to all my patients. In fact, I offer community lectures on the subject because I believe that a regular routine of both aerobic and weight-bearing exercises is important for overall health and longevity. Many of my patients use lightweight dumbbells in their workouts and that’s great. But, it’s important to use them correctly in order to avoid injury. So, I’m happy to pass along an exercise that outlines the proper use of dumbbells, offered by Karen Voight, the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Sleek Essentials.”
Aah, summertime. Time to head for the beach or a nice sunny park. So, bring out the picnic basket and blanket, the toys and swimsuits, and the sunscreen and tomatoes. Tomatoes!? Yep, that’s what I said. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, an antioxidant, which not only increases collagen in the skin and adds up to fewer lines and furrows, but actually helps to protect the skin again sunburn. According to Prevention Magazine, a recent study found that volunteers that consumed five tablespoons of tomato paste daily for three months had 25 percent more protection against sunburn.