With the school year beginning next week...after a restful
summer…..we will be back to a more structured routine!! The trains will be busy with school kids being part of the
rush hour commute.
Every year for the past decade, I have observed school kids
carrying heavy loads...totally unaware of their posture. As a Spine Specialist, I naturally notice poor posture in others and I must say adults are just as unaware of their posture.
Our sitting world places undue stress on the spine if we
are not aware of “ WHERE OUR BODIES ARE
IN SPACE”. Leading unsurprisingly to all sorts of aches, pains, and complaints of back stiffness.
I have coined 3 words to describe the spinal positions:
-
Hammock Spine: this is when we slouch curving
our spine to its limit ---that it resembles the shape of a hammock. All structures
are being pulled and stretched up to their end point resulting in weakness and
loss of stability. E.g. slouched on the couch sound
familiar!!!
- Swagger Spine: this is when the spine sways laterally and does all the work while the rest of the body comes along for the ride. E.g. Walking with packages and doodling sideways
- Pencil Spine: this is when the spine is so straight and rigid that any movement seems impossible. E.g. Turning and twisting to look behind is a total body effort
If we are all busy doing yoga, pilates, cross fit and gym
workouts --- why then does our super strong core still cause low back
pain? The answer is in our individual lack of
postural awareness; and this is where the expertise of a skilled PT with a keen sense of
observation is invaluable.
Static and dynamic posture determine spinal health…so why
not put your “ BACK TO SCHOOL”. Let us teach you how to enhance spinal mobility, spinal strength and
spinal wellness.
Duffy and Bracken has partnered with Intelliskin (a performance apparel company) to help build the bridge for patients who struggle with back pain due
to years of poor posture. Our postural
assessments consist of a total spine evaluation and assessment, corrective
exercises and clothing advice to help maintain good spinal posture.
Contact us today for more information. Isn’t it time that we adults took our BACK to School ---to
improve our quality of life!
Renuka Pinto, MPT, PGDR, CSCS, CES
Renuka@duffyandbracken.com
