Lumbar back support is critical to avoid placing stress on the soft tissues and joints in your spine and on the lumbosacral spinal discs. This stress can lead to back pain and is more common for people whose jobs require them to sit hours on end...
Good posture helps you use your muscles correctly by maintaining correct alignment in your bones and joints. This reduces abnormal wear and tear on hard tissues in your body that can lead to arthritis and joint pain. Your body works more...
Shoulder or neck pain that localizes in the muscles indicates a muscle strain, as opposed to problems caused by bone fractures or vertebral degeneration. Muscles strains respond well to home treatment, but may take as long as six weeks to heal...
Treatments for a shoulder injury may focus on muscle, tendon, ligament, bursa or bone tissue, but all share a common goal of inflammation and pain relief. Shoulder strains, sprains or dislocations may result in swelling, throbbing and muscle...
When your head and spine are not aligned with your center of balance, poor posture is the result. The possible causes range from simple bad habits to weak muscle tone and bone disease. Poor posture usually leaves visual clues such slumped...
Office workers and casual Internet surfers alike share an ongoing need for correct posture at the computer. When you are seated for long periods of time, proper sitting posture can be difficult to maintain. Your muscles tire and your head tips...
Correct posture helps your body perform against the forces of gravity, in motion and at rest. Supportive furniture and a firm posture base, with feet on the floor or a footrest, encourages the right seated position. Sitting posture is especially...
Good back posture depends on many factors, including your abdominal and back muscle strength, healthy bones and good habits. Some people experience back pain not due to their standing posture, but to how they sit or sleep. Others have a bone...
Back pain is a major cause of time lost from work and is the second most common type of neurological ailment in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Americans spend as much as $50 billion per...
If you spend long hours sitting while working, studying or catching up on email, your posture is likely not optimal during these activities. Spending an extended period of time in a seated position can cause your muscles and other soft tissues to...
Most of us neglect our posture. We know we shouldn't but slouching seems to require less effort. Sitting at a desk seems to encourage you to sit with a crooked neck and rounded back. As you sit at your computer reading, typing or playing a game,...
Sleeping or lying down in positions that weaken the muscles and stretch the ligaments of the lower back can cause poor posture and aggravate back problems and pain. The body curves inward naturally at the lumbar area, at the small of the back...
Posture refers to straightening of the spine, proper squaring of the shoulders, and accurate hip and shoulder alignment. Maintaining good posture prevents back and leg pain as well as spinal problems, such as compression of the discs that cushion...
When you think about how much time you spend in chairs, it's no wonder your posture is affected by the type of chair in which you sit. Much of it has to do with ergonomics and how your muscles and joints move and react to incorrect posture caused...
Initial remedies for pain in the shoulder and neck are similar and effective, no matter what the source of the damage is. While neck pain and shoulder pain can be caused by traumatic injury, such as whiplash or joint dislocation, they are more...
Reflexes slow and muscles become less coordinated as we age. In addition to low bone density, reduced equilibrium adds to the risk of falls and fractures due to osteoporosis. To maintain the motor skills you have, practice balance exercises,...
Your mother was right: You should stand up straight. It is not just a matter of appearance, although good posture can give you a more confident, attractive look. Proper spine positioning has numerous health benefits, too. Unfortunately, modern...
If you have a sedentary lifestyle, and spend hours daily in a seated position, you are likely to experience a gradual weight gain. Also, if your posture is out of alignment while you are seated or standing, you may develop pain in your back and...
Correct posture involves the the ability of the spine and the surrounding muscles to support themselves against gravity. Without correct posture and the musculature to support it, you would simply fall over. You have the ability to correct your...
The golf swing incorporates numerous muscles, many of which are very large. It also uses the body's core, which generates the majority of your power. By learning some simple stretches, you can increase your flexibility, getting more turn in your...
Lumbar disks, plates of cartilage that cushion the movements of the vertebrae of the spine, can rupture and herniate, putting pressure on nerves. The common symptoms of a herniated disk in the lumbar spine vary depending on which vertebrae and...
The human spine has a slight natural S-shaped curve from the tailbone to the skull. A deviation where the section of vertebrae bend toward the posterior, or rear, is called hypolordosis. The condition has degrees of severity. In milder cases,...
Egoscue exercises, developed by non-medical health care practitioner and author Pete Egoscue, are designed to restore proper body alignment through motion to reduce pain and stiffness in your musculoskeletal system. This non-medical pain relief...
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a condition where the pressure of blood, in the vessels, is consistently higher than 140/90. Yoga is a total-body practice that includes physical exercise, breathing, and meditation. Yoga is an affective...
A herniated disc occurs when the cushion between the bones in your lower back becomes compressed and bulges out, placing pressure on your spinal cord. This condition often occurs in your lower back, since the weight of your body can cause your...
If your home treatment for back pain is to take two aspirin again and again, natural pain relief techniques can set you free from this cycle. Over-the-counter medication is effective, but may be harmful over the long term---leaving chronic...
Rocking chair therapy for low back pain has existed for at least 50 years. The most famous user of the rocking chair for chronic lower back pain was President Kennedy. Repetitive rocking in a rocking chair increases proprioception, which is the...
A twinging pain in the low back is characteristically sudden and sharp. Low back pain is common in society and according to Medline Plus: It is estimated that 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain in their lifetime. Symptoms of back...
The lumbar region is one of the most susceptible areas of the spine for degenerative disc disease. The disease can result in herniation of the lumbar intervertebral disc, causing debilitating pain and other symptoms. The condition is diagnosed by...
