The Mayo Clinic says practicing healthy posture keeps your spine steady and strong. Consistently slouching or stooping places a burden on ligaments and muscles as they strive to maintain balance. This added exertion can cause a number of problems...
Posture is the way we humans stand, sit and lie against gravity, all the while maintaining proper alignment of the spinal column by using various muscles. Good posture has several requirements: Normal muscle mobility and strength, flexibility of...
MayoClinic.com reports that as many as two percent of Americans are afflicted with fibromyalgia syndrome, a chronic condition that causes aches and pain all over the body. Pain can be in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Feeling frequently...
Posture is the relative position your body assumes when upright and is a critical component of back health. Normal posture allows the back to maintain its natural curves and is facilitated by the complex back, spine and core musculature. Impaired...
Rigid braces are made of firm plastic and designed to fit the contours of the body. They severely limit movement for the back, sometimes by as much as 50 percent. Due the brace's rigidity, you must constantly stand or sit in an upright position,...
Bad posture contributes to sore necks, backs and shoulders, and slouching over can compress your lungs and other internal organs, inhibiting digestion and respiratory health. Long-term bad posture can lead to unsightly rounded shoulders or a...
A Versa bar is a three to four-foot long bar that has a foam coating to prevent damage and minimize injury. You can perform a variety of strength and movement-based exercises with this tool, which is safer than a traditional barbell, according to...
There are many types of injuries that can happen to either the muscles or ligaments surrounding the shoulder or the joint itself. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, in 2006 about 7.5 million people went to the doctor...
Back braces may temporarily relieve back pain caused by a spinal fracture. Your bones become weak when you have osteoporosis and therefore may need a little support when you are healing from a fracture. A brace is particularly useful during...
Good posture helps maintains correct alignment in your bones and joints, which helps you avoid injury and discomfort that can result in tissue damage and poor circulation. Keeping good posture reduces abnormal wear and tear that can lead to...
Back braces are commonly used to provide external support to the complex structures of the spinal column. They are prescribed for a multitude of purposes, including immobilization, postural support, symptom control and injury protection. When...
No matter how uncomplicated her pregnancy is, every woman is faced with the chance that her labor will end in a cesarean delivery, or C-section. As of 2007, a record-breaking 32 percent of all babies born in the U.S. were delivered by C-section,...
Your sciatic nerve runs from your lower back down your leg, detecting sensations in this part of your body. It is the largest nerve in your body and if you experience a condition known as sciatica, the discs in your lumbar spine slip out of place,...
Cheerleading is such a physically demanding sport that it puts cheerleaders at risk for a variety of injuries. Knee, ankle and foot injuries are especially common because of all the jumps, turns and kicks that cheerleaders perform as part of...
Your rhomboid muscles work with other back and shoulder muscles to move your shoulder blades during a pulling movement. They are located beneath your trapezius muscle, originating from your thoracic spine and into the middle edge of your scapula....
Your posture is important in keeping not only your back but your whole body balanced and supported to help prevent unnecessary stress and pain. Good posture protects against injury and provides shock absorption. It is your base of support for...
Circuit training is where you perform a series of exercises that train different movement patterns without rest between exercises. This method helps you burn more calories in less time, develops muscular endurance and stamina and saves you workout...
Scoliosis is a condition characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine. For some people, signs of scoliosis occur in adolescence, typically after a growth spurt. Curves that can be identified by a physician through tests such as x-rays...
Mix up your routine. You can damage tendons, nerves or muscles during simple activities like playing the guitar, operating a cash register and even using a calculator, especially if your joints are pinched or your muscles are cramped up for...
Scoliosis is a condition in which there is a lateral curvature of the spine. The cause of scoliosis can be attributed to vertebral birth defects. However, scoliosis is also classified as an idiopathic condition, meaning that it can have no known...
Back pain can keep you from participating in your regular activities and exercise programs. Although weightlifting can help strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, helping to ward of injuries due to weakness, incorrect lifting can cause pain...
Gymnastics is a challenging sport that requires strength, agility, flexibility and great coaching. The relationship between coach and gymnast forms the foundation of a gymnast's experience with the sport. The job of a gymnastics coach is to help...
Ball slamming is a type of plyometric training where you perform fast, repetitive movements at a near-maximum effort with very little or no pausing in a set. You can use either a medicine ball or a medicine ball sling, which is a ball with a heavy...
The lower back is a common site for pain, and sometimes weight-bearing exercise is too difficult. If you fall into this category, you should get into a pool. Aquatic exercise can be used to strengthen your muscles without the extremes of regular...
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...
Poor posture is a common problem for many people. Incorrect standing and sitting positions and long hours spent hunched over in front of a computer or steering wheel can cause pain due to poor posture. Fortunately, you can perform exercises to...
Fitballs range in diameter from 17 to 29 inches in 4-inch increments, and they are made from durable rubber. These training devices are commonly used to work the core muscles, which include the rectus abdominis, obliques and erector spinae in the...
Short muscles can occur for one of two reasons, you were born with them or you have tight muscles. Either way, shortened muscles can result in pain. Depending on which area of the body you have short muscles in, you may experience changes in...
Your shoulder is one of the most versatile joints in your body. It has nearly 360 degrees of rotation and plays a role in sports such as swimming and baseball pitching. With that large range of motion comes the opportunity for injury. That is why...
