Does Sitting Up Straight Hurt Your Back?

Many people hear their mom or teacher say those famous words, "Sit up straight and stop slouching." Sitting up straight does improve your posture; however, maintaining good posture requires strong abdominal muscles and back strength.  These core muscles help with keeping your spine aligned.  If they are weak, it will cause poor posture and pain when trying to sit up straight.  Here are a few things that happen to your body when you slouch:

• Pelvis tilts backwards --- tightens hamstrings
• Upper back rounds --- over stretches muscles
• Shoulder roll forward --- shortens chest muscles
• Chin juts forward, shortening the back of the neck --- limits the ability to take deep breaths

Stretching the tight muscles and strengthening the weak muscles help to prevent slouching and back pain.

Need extra help to stretch and strengthen your back muscles?  Come by Dr. Harper's office to learn the most effective techniques. Schedule an appointment today!

Slouching effects even the Hollywood crowd. Take a look at the picture to the left of music performer, Justin Bieber caught in the act!

Do Doctors Recommend Firm or Soft Mattresses?

I am often asked by my patients how often they should reverse or purchase a new mattress.  The answer is not as cut-and-dry as one might think.  However, this is my take on the perverbial mattress debate.  Mattresses should be reversed every 3 to 6 months.  A mattress should be replaced every 5 to 7 years.  There are many different types of mattresses with variant price tags to accompany them.  Doctors try to fit the mattress with the patient and their condition.  This can be a tough question to answer because of the patients' different body shapes, ages, and support needs.  There's no "one-size-fits-all" mattress.  However, a mattress that is too firm or too soft can exacerbate lower back pain. A sound option would be to purchase a mid-range mattress.

There are a variety of mattress manufacturers, so do your homework!  Similarly to buying a car, you need to research, ask questions, and test various ones to determine the right fit for you.  Lying on them at the store is a great way to see which one is the most comfortable.  Also, be sure to consider a mattress top and properly fitting pillows to enhance your well deserved rest!

If you've been experiencing back pain because of your mattress and are looking for chiropractic care, schedule an appointment with Dr. Harper today! He would be more than happy to make a mattress recommendation.

Don’t Let Back Pain Keep You Down

Performing physical activities with bulging or herniated discs can be quite painful and make activities like our upcoming 5K seem impossible.  Let’s take a deeper look into what’s going on to see how you can stay out of pain:

• The discs in your back begin to degenerate (or break down) over time. This is simply caused by normal day-to-day wear and tear on the body. The degeneration process can cause them to bulge or herniate (rupture), which can cause compression on the nerves around them.  

• Sporadic mild back pain in your 20’s and 30’s may escalate as the discs dry out and further degenerate.  This could cause a more persistent ache throughout the years.

• While not all herniated discs cause the symptoms mentioned above, some can protrude into the spinal canal.  This will put them close to, or even touching, nerves that could cause existing back pain to shoot down your leg or arm (depending on the section of the spine where the disc is protruding).

• In the majority of these cases, patients can be out of pain and back to normal activities within 8-12 weeks with regular chiropractic treatment. This gives you plenty of time to get healthy for our upcoming 5K event!

Start your treatment today! You can get back on track with your work out schedule, and feel like a new person! Remember, set achievable goals that you can be accountable for! To schedule an appointment with Dr. Harper about any pain you are having, just give us a call at (205) 425-5428.


*Some information in this blog was derived from an article located at www.health.com

The Chiropractic Approach Toward Obesity

The chiropractic advantage is a welcome approach in the fight against obesity. We as chiropractors, provide beneficial services to patients who struggle with obesity. Patients may initially come to us because of lower back pain brought on by their additional weight. The extra weight that people carry can also affect their knees and hip joints. A 10 pound weight gain can have an impact on your balance and alignment. As these patients come into the office, the chiropractor will have the opportunity to assist them in making better lifestyle choices that will result in achieving overall health. The unique advantage is that the chiropractor can monitor their patients increased physical activity, reduce musculoskeletal (muscle and joint) pain that may occur, make any adjustments to their specific weight loss plan, address concerns, and offer helpful words of encouragement to stay on course.

Dr. Harper is eager to offer his expert advice in order to aid you in achieving your weight loss goals. Call (205) 425-5428 today!

Strained from Stress?

There are many ways your can unknowingly put loads of stress on your back. Jolting activities, repetitive actions, or even just sitting with poor posture for long periods of time can put stress on your back. A lack of regular exercise can cause core muscles that support your spine to weaken. Any irregular incline in activity could lead to straining or even pulling muscles in your back.

Muscles strains are small tears in, or the stretching out of, muscle fibers. They are a leading cause of back pain. Stiffness and soreness that worsen with small activities such as bending or twisting are signs of having strained muscles, and they shouldn’t be ignored.

If you are experiencing pain from what you believe to be a muscle strain, follow these quick tips:

• To alleviate pain, start by icing the strain every 20 minutes for the first 24 hours. This will also help to reduce swelling.
• Every 2 hours, stretch gently with small movements. Lying down for long periods of time could cause muscles to tighten even more.

If the pain hasn’t reduced in 48 hours, contact your primary care physician or visit your local chiropractor. It is best to make sure your injury isn’t more severe than you first suspected.  There would be no harm in coming sooner if you are in serious pain or just want to be sure about the severity of the injury.

Regular exercise that will strengthen your core will reduce your risks for muscle strains. Don’t jump into a workout schedule that will be too rigorous for your body, as it may cause painful soreness or an injury that could set you back. Talk to your chiropractor about setting small, attainable goals. These can be paired with a large end goal like our upcoming 5K in September. This will give you plenty of time to get in shape and prevent future injuries. You will look and feel better when you achieve these goals!

*Some information in this blog was found in an article at www.health.com

Don’t Let Age Stop You in Your Tracks

Sure, age is just a number, and we all want to be forever young; but, be sure you take notice of your body and the changes it goes through with every passing year. In a previous posting, we mentioned how age has degenerative effects on the discs in your back. Therefore, we’d like to focus on how aging can have a painful effect on the body, and best practices to stay agile and prevent future pain.

Osteoarthritis is a major concern for many people as they age. It can take effect when the protective cartilage and the joints in your spinal column (or other joints) begin to wear down with age, causing one bone to grind against another. Facet joints are often affected by osteoarthritis. Those joints are the hook-shaped structures that run up and down the back of the spine. As osteoarthritis sets in, the bone often bulges out, putting pressure on surrounding nerves and causing pain.

Bending backwards and early mornings may be especially painful as osteoarthritis sets in.  You may experience serious stiffness accompanied with lower back pain that could protrude into your bottom and upper thighs, as well as up into your shoulders and neck. To prevent this pain, it’s crucial to do regular exercises that strengthen your back and core muscles. You need to stay active and flexible with your entire body to give your spine as much support as possible.

Start now! If you need to shed a few pounds, try to take it off as soon as possible. No body needs the added strain on their discs and joints. A great way to get in shape is to sign up for local events like our upcoming 5K. These events will give you a goal to work toward that you can be accountable for.

If you are already experiencing what you believe to be signs of early osteoarthritis, contact your local chiropractor for more information to learn about ways to get the pain relief that you need. Dr. Harper would be more than happy to talk with you about specific core building and back strengthening exercises you can do to give your spine the support it needs and prevent future pain. We would love to see you age pain free, and encourage all of our patients to stay active throughout their many years of life!

Looking for a way to stay agile? Set small, achievable goals everyday! Build up your strength and endurance. Soon, you’ll be ready to sign up for local events to participate in and inspire others to be healthy and fit just like you!

*Some information in this blog was derived from an article at www.health.com