Low Back Pain/ Hip Dysfunction caused by poor posture
The average person’s work week consists approximately of 40 hours, for a lot of those the majority of that time can consist of them sitting at a desk on a phone or computer. That time doesn’t even factor in commute time as well as dinner and lounging at home. Experts say that the average person can spend more than half their waking hours in a sedentary state.
It is well known that sitting for long periods of time can cause a lot of negative effects such as strain on your cardiovascular system as well as an increase risk in colon cancer. But what a lot of people don’t know about it is the actual physical disorders that come with sitting for long periods of time, such as weaker/underused abdominal muscles, weak glutes whiles shortening your hip flexors making them tight and decreasing Range Of Motion in your hip. This muscular imbalance can begin to force other muscles that are not commonly used to become overworked and tired and furthermore contribute to a muscle imbalance, which can cause hyperlordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis, as well as a twisted pelvis. Tight low back muscles can pull and twist your spine which could lead to degenerative disk disorder (DDD), or a subluxation of one or several vertebrae. When you decrease the activity of muscles you begin to decrease the electrical activity going to those muscles which begins to make them weak and underdeveloped which could lead to atonic muscles. The decreased angle in the hip while sitting for long periods can cause a decrease in blood flow to your legs decreasing the amount of blood, oxygen, and nutrients that can feed your muscles making for leg cramps and sometimes swelling in the feet due to lack of venous return.
Luckily Massage and Physiotherapy can be used as a preventative as well as therapy for the many conditions that sitting for long periods of time can cause. The main focus of both is too focus on the muscular imbalance and to bring you back to your norm as much as humanly possible. Some of the main areas of focus during treating is to loosen tight hip flexors, increase neurological function in the low back, glutes, and abdominals, loosen up Para spinal muscles which will decrease the risk of DDD and subluxation of the spine. During a massage the pressure and direction of stroke will help to increase blood flow to your low back and hip as well as into your legs providing oxygen and nutrients to areas that are being malnourished due to lack of blood flow.
The best was to prevent any disorders caused by sitting to long is simply to stand up and move around. Experts say you should stand up for at least 5 minutes every hour to get muscles working and blood flowing. Staying hydrating is very important during any point of the day for it helps keep muscles elastic (including your heart muscles), the spine works like a pump while moving bringing fresh water to your vertebral disks keeping them hydrated. Some offices have implemented standing desks or the use of exercise balls in place of regular chairs which can keep workers constantly moving, keeping blood flowing and muscles working. Stretching and strengthening exercises are very important to maintain healthy muscles, stretching out hip flexors to maintain full ROM in the hip, strengthening core either by doing push ups or the plank, stretching out your low back and abdominal area by doing both the cat and cow pose, and finally strengthen your back by doing rows and one arm rows.
Written by: Sean Cameron, RMT
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/20140407/sitting-disease-faq
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/sitting-for-too-long-can-kill-you-even-if-you-exercise-study-1.2918678
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/much-sitting-linked-heart-disease-diabetes-premature-death-201501227618
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/05/08/sitting-too-long.aspx
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Definition
Posture is a “position or attitude of the body, the relative arrangement of body parts for a specific activity, or a characteristic manner of bearing one’s body.” i.e. posture is another word that most therapists use interchangeably with ‘alignment’ So, why is posture important? Each individual is unique in terms of personality and physical shape, so shouldn’t posture be unique to each person too? Yes and no. While we each have our own preferences and habits, there’s definitely a right way of alignment for optimum health.Curves of the spine
The spine curves forward at the neck and lower back, known as LORDOSIS. It curves backwards at the mid-back, known as KYPHOSIS. Excesses in any of these curves causes imbalance and asymmetry.
Examples of non-ideal postural alignment
Ideal alignment: Ears in line with shoulders in line with hips, knees and ankles Kypholordosis: Exaggerated curves in mid and lower back Flat back: Flattening of the curves of mid and lower back, most commonly seen in office-workers Sway back: Forward shift of the pelvis in relation to the hips leading to a flattened low back and more curved mid backEffects of poor posture
- Impaired mobility manifested by tightness in certain groups and weakness in others
- Excessive compression of joints leading to herniated discs, facet dysfunction, impingement etc
- Reduced lung capacity
- Impaired digestion
- Compression on nerves and/or blood vessels
How do I fix it?
To put it simply, sit up straight! The more we actively try to maintain our spine in a neutral alignment, the less damage we cause. Here are some tips to help minimize the effects of improper alignment.- Take frequent breaks, whether you are in a job that is sedentary or physically taxing. Repeated load-bearing movements such as lifting or sustained positions such as sitting at a desk for many hours are both equally detrimental.
- Correct slouching by remembering to stand so that your head is stacked squarely above the chest and the pelvis is directly over the center of the knees and ankles. Stand with your back against a wall and draw your shoulder blades down and take a deep breath.
- Use an ergonomically designed workstation. A chair with the right amount of curvature in the lower back area will align the entire spine to a good neutral position.
- Adopt a sound lifting technique. Do a “squat-lift” v/s a “stoop-lift”. Use a hand truck or a dolly if possible. For more information on how to lift, see a physiotherapist for a work-safety consultation.
Click HERE to book an appointment with a physiotherapist at one of our eight locations.
- Physiotherapy Etobicoke – Triangle Physiotherapy Etobicoke
- Oakville Physiotherapy Clinic – Triangle Physiotherapy Oakville
- Physiotherapy North York – Triangle Physiotherapy North York
- Mississauga Physiotherapy Clinics – Triangle Physiotherapy Mississauga
- Downtown Physiotherapy Clinics – Triangle Physiotherapy King West
- Uptown Physiotherapy Clinics – Triangle Physiotherapy Lawrence Park
- Physiotherapy Clinic Downtown Toronto – Triangle Physiotherapy Queens Quay
- Physiotherapy Clinics Mississauga – Triangle Physiotherapy Erin Mills