So, does this mean that we should all stop twisting? Also think of all the athletes that twist including tennis players, golfers, hockey and baseball players. These athletes have been putting a significant amount of force through rotation after rotation for their entire career.
The only difference is that they learned how to rotate more efficiently. This means stop twisting the low back and learn to use your hips and midback. You need to learn to stop moving the low back and stiffen it up. Is Twisting Bad for your Back?
What You Need Know About Rotating the Back The midback, or thoracic spine is where you can find most of the rotation in he back, not the low back.
This means you should be trying to move at the chest level, not the lower back. Many people with neck and shoulder pain will compensate and rotate the low back because their mid back is too restricted and rotating from the mid back causes too much pain. You must loosen up your hips. If your hips are tight you will be unable to rotate and, again will risk rotating the low back. Sitting and poor training are huge contributing factors.
Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Maintain good posture. Maintaining good posture while you sit, walk and sleep is probably the most important thing you can do for the health of your spine.
Make sure your office chair is adjustable so you can customize it to your dimensions and try to get one with lumbar support for your low back. At home, use cushions to support your back and prop your legs up while watching television. Try to change up your position throughout the day so you aren't holding the same position all the time.
For instance, every 30 minutes or so, you might lean back occasionally or shift from one side to the other. Instead of trying to hold perfect posture all day long, try this: Shrug your shoulders, then turn your palms forward.
Then, reach for the ground and drop your shoulders. That's a good position for your head, neck, and shoulders, but it should still feel relaxed. Make sure your computer screen is at eye level and centred in front of your chair, otherwise, you'll strain your neck and possible develop an abnormal curvature. Wear quality shoes.
Your feet are crucial for good posture because they are the foundation for your entire body. In contrast, avoid regularly wearing high-heeled shoes because they affect the body's center of gravity and induce compensatory alignment of the entire body — they can cause too much extension called hyperlordosis in the lumbar spine. Orthotics promote a healthy spine by supporting the arches and allowing better biomechanics when running or walking.
Orthotics are made by podiatrists, medical specialists and some chiropractors. Sleep on a firm mattress. For most people, firm mattresses are the best strategy in order to provide the necessary support for their spine.
Memory foam top covers may also be helpful. You should consider changing mattresses every eight to 10 years. The thickness of your pillow should match the distance from the side of your head to the tip of your shoulder — a good rule of thumb to keep your neck aligned while sleeping. The best sleeping position for your spine is laying on your side, with your hips and knees slightly bent, and with a small pillow wedged between your thighs, which helps to keep your hips aligned also.
Avoid carrying a heavy backpack or messenger bag. Even if you are only carrying the weight from class to class, or from school back home, the weight of a heavy backpack can have serious consequences on your spinal health, as it compresses your spine. It can cause spine curvature and may even prevent you from reaching your full height! National Institutes of Health Go to source Even worse, if you carry your backpack on only one shoulder or wear a bag that puts all the weight on one shoulder, such as a messenger-style bag, your spine can begin to curve.
National Institutes of Health Go to source When carrying a bag or backpack, make sure the weight is always evenly distributed between your shoulders.
If you are carrying a very heavy suitcase or briefcase, make sure you don't always carry it on the same side. Consider a rolling backpack or briefcase. Try to make more trips to your locker throughout the day and swapping out textbooks instead of carrying them all with you. If your locker is far away and the passing periods are short, see if you can get a note from your doctor that will allow you a little extra time to go to your locker between classes.
Exercise and be more active. Moderate exercise has many health benefits, including weight loss and increased muscle strength, which both positively impact the spine. National Institutes of Health Go to source Carrying too much weight puts excessive pressure on spinal joints, making them more susceptible to wearing out and becoming misaligned.
In addition, stronger muscles keep bones and joints within their normal positions. Focus on exercises that work your shoulders, upper back, trunk, and abdomen. That will help support your ribcage, which will help strengthen your posture.
Consult with a personal trainer if you're unsure of how to train properly. Every morning when you wake up, turn on your back and slowly do "snow angels" with your arms and legs for three to five minutes.
The motions are great for warming up and lightly stretching many muscles important for keeping your spine aligned. Rowing exercises are great for strengthening your back and shoulders. If you can't use the rowing machine at the gym, use resistance bands to get a similar movement.
Pilates and yoga are other exercises that stretch and balance your body, especially the core muscles abdomen, pelvis, low back , which form the foundation of good posture. Intake the necessary nutrients. To maintain strong, straight and healthy bones, certain nutrients are needed. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium and boron form the mineral matrix of bone and a deficiency of these can lead to bones that are too brittle and susceptible to fractures known as osteoporosis.
Vitamin D is also essential for bone health, and a lack of it leads to bones that are too soft and easily deformable known as rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults.
Vitamin D is produced by your skin when it's exposed to intense summer sunshine. The recommended dietary intake for calcium is 1, — 1, mg daily, depending on your age. The best natural sources of calcium are collards, kale, spinach, sardines, tofu, almonds and sesame seeds. Part 2. Get a scoliosis screen. Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, usually in the thoracic region area between your shoulder blades , that can lead to back pain and restricted movement. Screenings are usually done in middle school by nurses, but most health professionals are qualified to examine you for scoliosis.
Screening usually involves bending forward at the hips and seeing if one shoulder blade sticks up more than the other. Scoliosis screening is more important for kids than adults because some treatments bracing or implantation of metal rods can slow down or stop the progression of the condition while the spine is still developing.
Girls have a greater risk of developing scoliosis and a much higher risk of the curve worsening and requiring treatment. Spine J. Characterization of Longissimus thoracis, Semitendinosus and Masseter muscles and relationships with technological quality in pigs.
Microscopic analysis of muscles. Meat Sci. Saf Health Work. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: diagnosis and management. Am Fam Physician. Low Back Pain Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. National Spine Health Foundation. Bernard, B. Department of Health and Human Services.
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