The only true-business-card we have is our posture. Think about that statement. Typically, what is the first thing you notice about someone? Their posture! It’s true, our posture is the one element that makes the Strongest First Impression. Not only does it impact what others think about us but more importantly, it impacts our own Physiology and our Psychology. It effects how we breath, how we feel and our mood. Think of a depressed person’s posture. Their head is down and their shoulders are slumped.
Our daily posture, to a large degree will determine how the structural components (skeletal system and joints) of our body ages. Let me explain why. Maintaining a good posture allows the weight of our head and upper body to be placed on the bony part of our spine. This weight gets transferred into our pelvic area then into the seat pan of a chair if we are sitting or down our legs into the floor if we are standing. Because of this fact, good posture requires very little muscular effort.
Conversely, poor daily posture creates a variety of problems. These problems occur due to the body adapting to the postures we maintain at work, home or leisure. Any posture that we regularly maintain for a prolonged period of time our body will adapt to. Specifically, it is our ligaments that adapt. Some shorten and others lengthen. When this happens the weight of our body gets transferred improperly. Over time our posture begins to change. The most common change is called anterior weight bearing. There is a forward shift of the head (See picture). If this is not corrected over time the mid back will become prominent. Because of this, these people develop chronic upper back pain.
So go look in the mirror. Better yet, look at some recent photos of yourself. Now that you have a better understanding about posture, are you pleased at what you see? There are many factors that contribute to poor posture. The majority are correctable over time. As a chiropractor, I have an acute awareness that a person’s posture is actually a window to their spine. If you feel your posture could use some work, give me a call and let’s begin.
Yours in Health!
Dr. Gould
Antalgia! We have all seen this and some of us unfortunately have experienced it. So what exactly is an antalgic spine and what causes it? As the picture demonstrates, the spine takes on an abnormal curve. There are a variety of things that can initiate this, ranging from trying to lift something heavy to simply rolling over in bed. To say the least, it can be very frustrating. Not only is it unsightly but also very painful.
So what causes our spine to become antalgic? The simple explanation for this is weakness of the spinal muscles. Specifically the (paravertebral) muscles located on either side of the spine. This weakness allows more of the load of your body weight to be transferred away from the boney structures of the spine to the soft tissues around the spine. Specifically the disc.
A disc is made up of two parts. The ball like center is called the nucleus. Wrapping around the nucleus, in concentric rings, is a ligamentous structure called the annulus. By design, the disc allows the vertebra to tip on one another. This tipping allows us to bend in all directions.
Imagine watching two kids on a teeter-totter. When one goes up the other goes down. What allows this to occur is a center pivot point or fulcrum. The nucleus does the exact same thing, it allows the vertebra to tip or teeter on the other. When you bend to the right the nucleus actually shifts to the left in each disc. This causes a wedging of the disc. When you straighten back up the nucleus migrates back to the center.
The spine becomes antalgic when the nucleus does not migrate back to the center position. Within a short period of time the muscles that surround that area go into spasm which inturn causes more pain.
Correcting the problem requires isolating where it is occurring and then a series of spinal adjustments to reposition or center the nucleus. Once recentered, exercises are provided to strengthen the paravertebral musculature to prevent future occurrance.
I hope this has been helpful. If you should have a question or would like to make a comment please do so at the bottom of the page.
Yours in Health!
Dr. Gould
Many people sleep on older mattresses. By definition, your mattress is older if it is between 8 and 10 years old. Over time your mattress loses its ability to properly support your body. Like many things, this happens slowly over time, so we rarely notice it. What we do notice however, is we are not sleeping soundly or we wake up feeling stiff and in some cases in pain.
The typical older mattress causes what I call “hammocking” of your body. Imagine what your body would look like laying in a hammock. Your feet and head are higher than your bottom. Lying like this for several hours can cause a variety of things to happen to the spine. In your lower back it causes the forward curve of the spine to flatten out. This in-turn causes the spinal joints in your lower back to spread apart, in many cases causing muscle spasm to occur.
If you suffer from back pain it may be due to your mattress and box-springs. Check to see if your mattress has lost its ability to support your body weight. Have someone stand at the side of the bed while you lay in the center of the mattress on your back. Ask them if you are hammocking. If so, it’s time to shop for a new mattress and box-spring.
People always ask me what is the best type of mattress and box-spring. I always tell them that it is a very individual thing. You can spend several hundred, to several thousands of dollars on a mattress and box-springs and find yourself very dissatisfied after several nights of use. Just remember, all mattresses and box-springs have pros & cons.
What you are looking for is a mattress that is both comfortable and offers adequate spinal support. In the majority of cases, a medium to firm mattress with a pillow top usually does the trick.
When you are shopping go to a variety of stores. Don’t be in a hurry and do not allow the salesman to sell you, allow your spine to tell you. When you lay on a mattress and your body and spine go Ahhhhhhh! You know you have found a good one.
Let me know if this has been helpful?
Yours in Health,
Dr. Gould
A funny thing happens as we grow older; time seems to go by faster and faster. Our lives tend to become cluttered with to-do lists. Not only do we make demands on ourselves, but other people seem to enjoy putting demands on us also.
Many of us have gone to seminars to learn time management, but somehow, there are still not enough hours in the day. Because of this, we spend most of our day in reaction. We feel like we are constantly putting out fires which leaves us feeling out of control and stressed.
Stress is interesting! Events that cause you stress, might not cause someone else any stress at all. In fact, the other person may totally enjoy the event that stresses you. This means that stress is an individual thing. Stress is simply how we interpret events. William Shakespeare once said, ” Nothing has any meaning, accept that which we give it.” Think about that, we give things and events meaning.
The Consequences of Living a Stressful Life.
When stressed, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure becomes elevated and you take shallower breaths. Our body was actually designed to do this, so we could respond to danger and live to tell about it. However, the intent was to use this only on occasion. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, this is an occurrence that happens several times a day. This leads to a breakdown of the body.
One of the most significant effects stress has on the human body is on the immune system. The immune system is a wonderful thing. As you are reading this article, there are cells in your body killing off invading organisms. You don’t even have to think about it. When you are stressed, however, these little attack cells are reproduced at a much slower rate. This of course allows the invading organisms to over-power-us and make us sick. Getting sick is a sign that our immunity has been compromised. By the way, becoming ill is Feedback! It’s our body’s way of telling us we need to make changes.
Tips on Dealing with Stress
- Develop Empowering Beliefs. Reflect back on the problems you have had in the past. Problems that at the time, you thought could not be dealt with but you dealt with them and eventually they were handled. Current problems are no different, regardless of their size. Always remember, “all” problems have a beginning and an end.
- Exercise. Exercise does marvelous things to counteract the effects of stress. Exercise strengthens the immune system, strengthens the heart, makes blood vessels more pliable and helps you to think more clearly. At the end of the day you will ba able to unwind faster and get a better night’s sleep.
- Diet. Most people are digging their grave with their teeth. Begin to eliminate processed foods out of your diet. Try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables organically grown if you can find them. Reduce stimulating substances like sugar, chocolate and coffee. Drink more water!
Let me know how this helps you.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Gould
As a physician, I find it interesting how often people complain about their normal aches and pains. What is more interesting is how people, young people in many instances, have acclimated to these “so called” normal aches and Pains. The truth is, there is no such thing as normal aches and pains. Aches and pains are not normal. They are an indicator that something is wrong and that changes need to be made.
Living with pain not only zaps the joy out of your life but also prevents you from engaging in activities that you love. Living with chronic pain is like being handcuffed, leaving you feeling limited and frustrated.
If you are suffering with chronic pain and have never tried Chiropractic, now is your chance. Chiropractic seeks to correct the cause of your ache or pain. Did you know taking pain medication does absolutely nothing to correct the “cause” of your problem? It merely masks the pain allowing the problem to go unchecked.
So let’s find out what’s causing your pain and then work on fixing it. Life is too short to live pain.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Gould
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