Posture Relief

Chiropractor in Plantation providing relief for desk pain

Technology is the way of the future. Sitting at desks, working on computers, tablets and cell phones is how business is conducted. Chances are, your job requires many hours of sitting behind a desk during the work day. If that is the case, you have experienced neck or back pain at some point from being seated for longer periods of time. The long stretch of sitting may not affect you the first day, but day in and day out, posture can begin to get compromised and, before you know it, pain presents. As you read this right now, you may be working on correcting your posture. Keeping your shoulders back, your head and neck up and your core engaged. If you are starting to feel some relief, there are most likely muscle imbalances causing your pain.

Neck pain from working at a desk

Neck pain that presents at the base of the neck and into the shoulders is very common with postural pain. A common complaint is pain in the front of the shoulders, the base of the neck, and at the shoulder blades. Working at a desk, you can find yourself rounding your back and your chin begins to push forward. The idea of keeping your ears over your shoulders is lost and now you have an increase of weight pushing down on your neck. The longer this position continues, a condition known as "upper crossed syndrome" develops.

Upper crossed syndrome:

• Weak/inhibited - deep neck flexors, lower trapeizus and serratus anterior
• Overactive/spasm - shoulders, levator scapuale and upper trapezius, pectoralis minor

Low back pain from working at a desk

Low back pain from sitting increases into the midback and down the legs. Many people even develop sciatica-like symptoms. This can come from longer periods of increased sitting, which creates compression and flattening of the gluteal muscles, irriating the sciatic nerve. While sitting, more pressure is placed along the lumbar spine rather than an even distribution of weight between the hips and lumbar spine. The increase in force through the lumbar spine and rounding of the back can cause more pressure on the lumbar discs, leading to nerve root irritation. Sitting also weakens the core muscles, which puts more strain on the lumbar muscles, resulting in "lower crossed syndrome."

Lower crossed syndrome:

• Weak/inhibited - abdominals, gluteus group
• Overactive/spasm - lumbar extensors, psoas

Sitting increases poor posture

Muscle imbalances lead to poor posture that will cause pain in both sitting and standing. Correction of these imbalances and strengthening posture will be provided at your Plantation chiropractic office through chiropracitc adjustments, manual therapy and theraputic exercises. Dr. Stumpff will address your posture and provide exercises that can be added into your daily routine to help break old habits and continue to strengthen muscles to help improve posture and decrease pain.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms and are desk bound, you could have developed upper crossed syndrome and/or lower crossed syndrome:

• headaches
• neck pain
• shoulder pain
• inability to get comfortable in a seated position
• low back pain
• sciatica
• piriformis syndrome
• rounding of the back
• numbness in extremities

For more information on upper crossed syndrome and lower crossed syndrome, visit Vladimir Janda's work and reserach at www.jandaapproach.com. Diagram credit: www.jandaapproach.com