Top 10 Most Wicked Habits That Hurt Your Back
In honor of posture month (who knew there was such a thing), I have listed the top 10 nastiest, foulest, most horrible habits that destroy the very soul of your low back. Oh……and I also list how to fix them.
1. BEING A DESK JOCKEY: You’ve heard me say it before and I am saying it again. Sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing. The stagnation from a desk job causes your lower back muscles to weaken from disuse, and causes joints to lose lubrication from the inactivity.
**Sounds like a chiropractic problem if I ever heard of one!
THE FIX: Get up, get up, get up! Take water breaks, go to the copier, go find the birthday cake cubicle that seems to be ever present. Just get up and move a couple of minutes every ½ hour. Also, ensure the desk is set up correctly for you (if you have questions on this please email me - I will help!!)
2. THE LONG COMMUTE: Is your morning commute longer than the Sherpas' of Mt. Everest? Do your shoulders slump at the mere thought of your drive? Have you ever noticed where your head is? Is it against the head rest? It’s not called an air rest for a reason.
THE FIX: Try to sit as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Make sure your head is actually against the head rest as this will keep your shoulders back. Roll up a towel and put it in the hollow of your back for extra lumbar and muscle support.
3. SKIPPING THOSE WORKOUTS: Seems like it gets harder and harder to find the time to get a workout these days and low back pain tends to make us even more weary of the gym because of possible injury.
FIX IT: Don’t skip the workouts! Things as simple as walking and stretching can drastically reduce the healing time of back pain. To avoid back pain in the first place try Yoga. Research has proven its effectiveness at keeping the back pain free. My favorite place is Korsi Yoga in Roswell (www.korsiyoga.com). Give them a call…try out a class. What have you got to lose? Back pain? Exactly!
4. MUNCHING ON ALL THE CRUNCHING: Oh, my crunch addicts are going to be so disappointed! We all know that a strong core is a key to lessening low back pain. BUT...crunches alone do not work the muscles that actually stabilize the low back and can even make low back pain worse. How you ask? Crunches alone create a core imbalance and excessive compression on the spine by curving the spine forward like a “C" - this would be bad.
FIX IT: Strengthen your transverse abdominis muscle which is extraordinarily important to a strong core. Guess what? You don’t do it with crunches at all!! You do it with planks. Not the "Argggh I’m a pirate kind," the on the floor core ripping kind!
5. YOU EAT LIKE ***T: OH MY!!! Healthy circulation brings nutrients to the spine and removes waste. If this stops and the arteries clog, inflammation results, which then activates chemicals for the nerves to send pain signals to the brain. OH MY AGAIN!!
FIX IT: Concentrate on a diet that is low in inflammation. Avoid hydrogenated oils, enriched wheat, and words ending in iose, iates, and ites (IE-Nitrates, Sulfites, etc). Add in more whole grains, nuts/seeds, veggies and fruit.
6. YOUR PURSE IS LARGER THAN MY SUITCASE: That heavy bag causes an imbalance in your shoulders, as the shoulder that the bag rests on hikes up to carry the weight. This pulls on your spine causing the muscles to overcompensate and ache over time.
FIX IT: Pretty obvious - lighten the load! The American Chiropractic Assoc. recommends that your purse be no heavier than 10% of your body weight…..which I feel should be more like 5%.
7. YOUR MATTRESS LOOKS LIKE A BANDAGE FROM THE CIVIL WAR: That old mattress can be killing your back! Most mattresses last about 9 years, but most experts agree to change it about every 7 or so. Recent research showed that those who changed their mattress every 5 years slept significantly better and had much less back pain.
FIX IT: Mattresses and pillow are the wild west of the health care industry. Lots of great claims - lots of poor follow through and results. What I can tell you is that you get what you pay for. You get a $400 mattress from Herschel’s House of Beds and that is exactly what you will get. You spend two-thirds of your life on your mattress - you owe it to yourself to spend the money for the right one. Don’t want to buy a new one? A memory foam mattress topper can be a great way to extend the life of a fading mattress. I recommend at least 3 inches thick.
8. SHOES….THE HIGHEST HIGHS AND THE LOWEST LOWS: High heels force your back into extension (an arch) putting extra pressure on your back and making those spinal muscles work harder. On the other side flip flops and backless sandals allow your feet to shift from side to side as you walk causing an uneven weight shift which can cause back pain.
FIX IT: NO - you don’t have to throw away a closet full of shoes! During commutes wear comfy flats and then change into your favorite pair of peep toes. The idea is to reduce the amount of time you’re spending in the improper shoe wear. 80% of people who suffer back pain report relief by changing their shoes to something with more flexibility, arch, and cushion!
9. THAT GLOWING BOX ON YOUR WALL: A study showed that those who sat in front of a TV or computer for more than 15 hours a week were three times more likely to have low back pain! First, if you are watching TV, you aren’t working out or being active. Second, that posture puts your low back into severe flexion (bend) for hours on end, putting severe stress on the muscles that support your back.
FIX IT: On commercial breaks, yes even on your DVR’D shows, get up move around and stretch. This will break the monotony of sitting and allow your back to recover.
10. NO ZEN TIME: Have you ever thought that all the jaw clenching you’re doing at work because you are stressed might be causing those debilitating headaches? NO? Think again!
FIX IT: Find time to slow down. Prioritize time to slow down. Whether that be exercise, a good book, or time with a friend, finding time to tune out is vitally important to our overall health.
**Speaking of tuning out. An Austrian study was done on two groups of people with low back pain. Both groups got standard medical care (Meds and PT. What? No chiro?). But one group also listened to music daily. After 21 days the music group reported pain 40% lower than the standard group with no music. So throw on that Bon Jovi and wait for the pain to ease away.
In honor of posture month (who knew there was such a thing), I have listed the top 10 nastiest, foulest, most horrible habits that destroy the very soul of your low back. Oh……and I also list how to fix them.
1. BEING A DESK JOCKEY: You’ve heard me say it before and I am saying it again. Sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing. The stagnation from a desk job causes your lower back muscles to weaken from disuse, and causes joints to lose lubrication from the inactivity.
**Sounds like a chiropractic problem if I ever heard of one!
THE FIX: Get up, get up, get up! Take water breaks, go to the copier, go find the birthday cake cubicle that seems to be ever present. Just get up and move a couple of minutes every ½ hour. Also, ensure the desk is set up correctly for you (if you have questions on this please email me - I will help!!)
2. THE LONG COMMUTE: Is your morning commute longer than the Sherpas' of Mt. Everest? Do your shoulders slump at the mere thought of your drive? Have you ever noticed where your head is? Is it against the head rest? It’s not called an air rest for a reason.
THE FIX: Try to sit as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Make sure your head is actually against the head rest as this will keep your shoulders back. Roll up a towel and put it in the hollow of your back for extra lumbar and muscle support.
3. SKIPPING THOSE WORKOUTS: Seems like it gets harder and harder to find the time to get a workout these days and low back pain tends to make us even more weary of the gym because of possible injury.
FIX IT: Don’t skip the workouts! Things as simple as walking and stretching can drastically reduce the healing time of back pain. To avoid back pain in the first place try Yoga. Research has proven its effectiveness at keeping the back pain free. My favorite place is Korsi Yoga in Roswell (www.korsiyoga.com). Give them a call…try out a class. What have you got to lose? Back pain? Exactly!
4. MUNCHING ON ALL THE CRUNCHING: Oh, my crunch addicts are going to be so disappointed! We all know that a strong core is a key to lessening low back pain. BUT...crunches alone do not work the muscles that actually stabilize the low back and can even make low back pain worse. How you ask? Crunches alone create a core imbalance and excessive compression on the spine by curving the spine forward like a “C" - this would be bad.
FIX IT: Strengthen your transverse abdominis muscle which is extraordinarily important to a strong core. Guess what? You don’t do it with crunches at all!! You do it with planks. Not the "Argggh I’m a pirate kind," the on the floor core ripping kind!
5. YOU EAT LIKE ***T: OH MY!!! Healthy circulation brings nutrients to the spine and removes waste. If this stops and the arteries clog, inflammation results, which then activates chemicals for the nerves to send pain signals to the brain. OH MY AGAIN!!
FIX IT: Concentrate on a diet that is low in inflammation. Avoid hydrogenated oils, enriched wheat, and words ending in iose, iates, and ites (IE-Nitrates, Sulfites, etc). Add in more whole grains, nuts/seeds, veggies and fruit.
6. YOUR PURSE IS LARGER THAN MY SUITCASE: That heavy bag causes an imbalance in your shoulders, as the shoulder that the bag rests on hikes up to carry the weight. This pulls on your spine causing the muscles to overcompensate and ache over time.
FIX IT: Pretty obvious - lighten the load! The American Chiropractic Assoc. recommends that your purse be no heavier than 10% of your body weight…..which I feel should be more like 5%.
7. YOUR MATTRESS LOOKS LIKE A BANDAGE FROM THE CIVIL WAR: That old mattress can be killing your back! Most mattresses last about 9 years, but most experts agree to change it about every 7 or so. Recent research showed that those who changed their mattress every 5 years slept significantly better and had much less back pain.
FIX IT: Mattresses and pillow are the wild west of the health care industry. Lots of great claims - lots of poor follow through and results. What I can tell you is that you get what you pay for. You get a $400 mattress from Herschel’s House of Beds and that is exactly what you will get. You spend two-thirds of your life on your mattress - you owe it to yourself to spend the money for the right one. Don’t want to buy a new one? A memory foam mattress topper can be a great way to extend the life of a fading mattress. I recommend at least 3 inches thick.
8. SHOES….THE HIGHEST HIGHS AND THE LOWEST LOWS: High heels force your back into extension (an arch) putting extra pressure on your back and making those spinal muscles work harder. On the other side flip flops and backless sandals allow your feet to shift from side to side as you walk causing an uneven weight shift which can cause back pain.
FIX IT: NO - you don’t have to throw away a closet full of shoes! During commutes wear comfy flats and then change into your favorite pair of peep toes. The idea is to reduce the amount of time you’re spending in the improper shoe wear. 80% of people who suffer back pain report relief by changing their shoes to something with more flexibility, arch, and cushion!
9. THAT GLOWING BOX ON YOUR WALL: A study showed that those who sat in front of a TV or computer for more than 15 hours a week were three times more likely to have low back pain! First, if you are watching TV, you aren’t working out or being active. Second, that posture puts your low back into severe flexion (bend) for hours on end, putting severe stress on the muscles that support your back.
FIX IT: On commercial breaks, yes even on your DVR’D shows, get up move around and stretch. This will break the monotony of sitting and allow your back to recover.
10. NO ZEN TIME: Have you ever thought that all the jaw clenching you’re doing at work because you are stressed might be causing those debilitating headaches? NO? Think again!
FIX IT: Find time to slow down. Prioritize time to slow down. Whether that be exercise, a good book, or time with a friend, finding time to tune out is vitally important to our overall health.
**Speaking of tuning out. An Austrian study was done on two groups of people with low back pain. Both groups got standard medical care (Meds and PT. What? No chiro?). But one group also listened to music daily. After 21 days the music group reported pain 40% lower than the standard group with no music. So throw on that Bon Jovi and wait for the pain to ease away.
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