Improve Your Posture and Reduce Your Back and Neck Pain!

By: Tricia Rose, MPT, DPT, Cert. MDT

Do you suffer from intermittent back pain, neck pain or headaches?  Have these symptoms lasted a few weeks or even months and did they begin for no apparent reason?  Your pain may be due to poor posture while sitting or standing. 

     Good sitting and standing posture begin in the lumbar spine.  It is important to maintain a good lordosis, the natural inward curvature of the lumbar spine, to prevent your shoulders from rounding and your head from sitting too far forward.  Your head should be in a position where your ears are over your shoulders and not in front of them.  Too often, some people slouch because it is less demanding on their abdominal and posterior spinal muscles.  However, prolonged slouching elongates the posterior lumbar and thoracic spinal muscles, which in turn weaken them, making it even more work to sit up straight. This is definitely the case where “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” 

    Prolonged poor posture further weakens abdominal, or core, muscles because of a lack of use.  Physical therapists address core strengthening as an essential part of treating low back pain in order to increase the stability and strength of the spine.  Poor posture and back pain is a negative cycle that continues until a conscious effort is made to end the cycle. 

    One of the foremost experts studying back pain is Robin McKenzie, a prominent New Zealand physiotherapist.  In one study, cited below, McKenzie found that use of a lumbar roll was shown to significantly reduce back pain and referred leg pain by improving the lumbar lordosis in the sitting position.  A lumbar roll is a foam support placed behind your back specifically designed to improve your posture while sitting.  As a service to our patients, we have these McKenzie lumbar and cervical rolls available at our clinics. We also have available, a copy of McKenzie’s book Treat Your Own Back.  This is the world’s largest selling book on how to prevent back pain. It is helpful for those who are experiencing intermittent lower back and neck pain. 

    Being aware of and maintaining good posture is something that everyone can do, and a person does not need professional help to achieve it.  However, if you are at the point where you are experiencing back pain, and are unable to alleviate the symptoms yourself, you may need to seek professional intervention for help. During examination, from a trained McKenzie therapist, a thorough history of the pain behavior will be taken, a detailed examination of your posture and spinal mechanics to repeated movements will be assessed.  We will then determine if mechanical physical therapy is an option for you.  The most important things our therapists provide in regard to treating back and neck pain is postural education.  We also provide as patient education tools for self-management of your symptoms, manual therapy, therapeutic exercises including core strengthening and body mechanics training to prevent recurrence.

Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC has two locations serving this population.  In Bristol we are located at 135 Middle Street, 585-5800 and in Plantsville we are at 1090 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, 272-8490.  Call PTC today and make an appointment so we will help you recover with outpatient therapy or visit us on the web at www.ptcbristol.com

    Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC is central Connecticut’s most trusted name in Physical Therapy since 2003.   We service the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Southington, Meriden, Cheshire and Plantsville Connecticut.  One of our trained McKenzie therapists will evaluate you and determine a course of treatment for your symptoms.

 

1. Williams MM, Hawley JA, McKenzie RA, van Wijmen PM.: A comparison of the effects of two sitting postures on back and referred pain. Spine; Oct;16 (10):1185-91, 1991.

 

Stroke Rehabilitation- Returning home

Ashley Maritzer, PT MS

 

You have had a stroke, you went to a rehabilitation facility where you learned to stand up, dress yourself, and walk again in order to return home. Now you are home but what is next? You may find that you still have deficits in getting up from a chair, driving, and walking through a grocery store. Outpatient therapy at Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC can facilitate in strength training, gaining ROM, gait training, and improving balance that all lead to improved quality of life.

About 80% of people who have had a stroke have some degree of trouble moving one side, or suffer from weakness on one side of their bodies.¹ The side of the body opposite the side of brain injury has the resultant weakness so if you have had a left sided stroke you will have right sided hemiparesis and vice versa. This weakness can make activities such as reaching for objects, going to the bathroom, or showering oneself difficult.

Spasticity is also a major problem from a stroke. Spasticity is stiffness of muscles making it difficulty to move. Untreated spasticity can result in contractures, pain, and difficulty moving.  Due to spasticity or weakness you may have been prescribed an orthotic to assist with walking. As your spasticity decreases and your strength increases you may wean from your orthotic per your physical therapist. Your physical therapist will know when it is safe to start training without it and will give you the appropriate exercises to wean from the orthotic.

Outpatient physical therapy addresses these issues through exercise, manual stretching, balance, and coordination training. It is also difficult to know when you no longer need the assistance of a device such as a cane, walker, or even a wheelchair. Many people will go home with use of an assistive device but may no longer need it after continued therapy. This will help to regain your life and allow you to feel like you have control again.

According to Werner and Kessler² stroke survivors can make functional gains even up to 3 years after stroke. Continued exercise is essential in making a difference in your post stroke recovery. You may feel like you have lost all control of your life but its up to you to regain it now.  Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC has two locations serving this population.  In Bristol we are located at 135 Middle Street, 585-5800 and in Plantsville we are at 1090 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, 272-8490.  Call PTC today and make an appointment so we will help you recover with outpatient therapy or visit us on the web at www.ptcbristol.com

 

Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC is central Connecticut’s most trusted name in Physical Therapy!  We service the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Southington, Meriden, Cheshire and Plantsville Connecticut. 

 

1. www.stroke.org

1. Werner RA, Kessler S. Effectiveness of an intensive outpatient rehabilitation program for postacute stroke patients. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 1996; 75(2): 114-120