5 Simple Tips From A Chiropractor To Ease Back And Neck Pain
on Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Hood View Chiropractic Helps Gresham Locals With Back And Neck Pain
Hood View Chiropractic aims to bring Gresham health by hand. That means our patient care doesn’t stop after the chiropractic appointment is over. We want to help our Gresham patients live pain-free between appointments as well. You can reduce your risk for back and neck pain at home with simple changes to your routine. Hood View Chiropractic recommends 5 simple tips to keep your back and neck aligned to help reduce muscle or nerve pain throughout the day.
1. Start Your Day With A Stretch
How you start your day can often determine how much your lower back complains by the end of it. Before you even get out of bed in the morning, commit yourself to treating your body better. Stretching your body out first thing in the morning can help you feel more ready to approach the day.
2. Stop Doing Sit-Ups
It’s true that strong abdominals are key to reducing pain in your back. However, if you have back pain, traditional crunches and sit-ups actually make the pain worse. There are other exercises Hood View Chiropractic recommends to build your abdominal strength. For example, try holding yourself in a yoga plank pose — lie on your stomach and then lift your body so you’re balancing on your hands and your toes, like a push-up. Hold the position as long as you can, increasing the time with each attempt. Side planks will also firm up your core. From the plank position, rotate your body to the left so you are balancing on your outstretched left arm and on your left foot (either stack your right foot on top of your left or place your right foot down if it’s necessary for balance). Reach your right arm upward. Hold it as long as you can and then switch sides.
3. Stretch Out Those Hamstrings
If you experience low back pain and find yourself sitting at a desk all day, try stretching your hamstrings. Our hamstrings can get locked up from spending too many hours sitting in a chair. When we try to stand up from sitting, our hamstrings pull on our pelvis, causing misalignments in the spine and all kinds of pain. A few simple stretches can counter this effect. While lying on your back, wrap a yoga belt around your foot and pull your leg up, keeping it straight. Feel the stretch along the back of your leg. Then try to stretch your leg across the groin—over the left leg to the right and vice versa—and then out and away from your body towards your hips and. Work yourself up to holding the stretches for 90 seconds.
4. Stop Staring At Your Smartphone
Often, when we look at our phones our chin bends down to our chest and our necks curve into a C-shape. This is very bad for your neck. The human head weighs 12-15 pounds! The further the head is away from our shoulders, the more it strains the muscles. The bones and the discs start to mash together and cause pain. Any handheld electronics, such as smartphones, tablets, and gaming devices, can cause you to strain your neck. To save your neck, prop up your arms so you’re looking at your phone straight on. If you’re using an e-reader in bed, hold it up on your bent knees instead of down on your lap.
5. Use Your Car’s Headrest
Despite our best efforts, many of us spend our days staring at screens, our necks craned downwards. Use your drive time to release some of the tension you build up in your neck. While you’re driving, lean your head back against the headrest. Doing so will naturally raise your chin to a comfortable position and take some of the pressure off of your neck muscles, giving them a needed rest. You can get the same release by placing your hands behind your head and gently pushing your head toward your hands.
Be sure to read 5 More Tips From A Chiropractor To Ease Back And Neck Pain for more great tips to help alleviate back and neck pain throughout the day.
Hood View Chiropractic Brings Gresham Health By Hand
Gresham members can rely on Hood View Chiropractic for professional, experienced care. Whether you need chiropractic care, massage therapy, or one of our other services, a visit to Hood View Chiropractic means you are in capable and caring hands. The team at Hood View Chiropractic is experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain your best health. We are proud to serve the Gresham area and are eager to help you live a life that is pain-free and stress-free. Contact us or call us today at (503) 669-1966.
Hood View Chiropractic. We bring you health by hand.
