Did You Know?

Setting Up an Ergonomically-Sound Desk Chair

A lot of back pain is caused by an improper seat, particularly if this seat is the one you spend all of your work day on. When setting up a chair at your desk, consider the following tips to make sure that you’re ergonomically sound. Lower Back: Your lower spine should be supported so that your back arches slightly when you sit up straight. Elbows: Sit as close to your desk as possible, holding your arms parallel to your spine...

Posted on May 6, 2016

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition wherein your cartilage becomes stiff and loses its ability to act as a shock-absorber for your joints. Over time, this can cause your cartilage to break down, causing you great discomfort. It can happen in any joint in your body, but it usually only occurs in the hardest working joints, like your hips, knees, hands, and spine. It is most common for osteoarthritis to be seen in people over fifty, but it can occasionally be seen...

Posted on April 22, 2016

Lower Back Pain: Is It Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction?

Lower back pain is generally a difficult thing to diagnose. One of the most common conditions that gets overlooked is known to medical professionals as sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Your sacroiliac joint is the joint that connects your sacrum, or the wedge-shaped bone at the base of your spine, with your pelvis. Over time, degeneration in this joint can cause it to become either too rigid or too mobile, resulting in sacroiliac joint dysfunction. When this happens, you may experience not...

Posted on April 7, 2016

What’s Causing Your Stiff Neck?

Are you suffering from a stiff neck, and don’t know why? It can often be difficult to identify the reasons behind neck stiffness. There are many potential causes, most of which come in the form of a muscular injury. What follows is a list of common causes for a stiff neck: A fall or impact that forces your head to move suddenly to the side. Sleeping in an awkward position. An activity that has you move your neck repeatedly, like...

Posted on March 22, 2016

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is among the most common mental illnesses. It unfortunately is not always taken as seriously as it ought to be, but it is a debilitating disease that has very real effects on your bodily health. If you struggle with depression, you will often experience back problems, or your pre-existing back problems may get worse. Therefore, be on the lookout for the following depression symptoms: An unexplained change in eating habits, resulting in significant weight gain or weight loss. Trouble...

Posted on March 8, 2016

Lifting Weights Without Injuring Your Back

If you’re planning on starting a weightlifting routine, it is important that you talk to a professional to make sure your back is up to the job. Many weightlifting exercises are very hard on your delicate back tissues. To help you avoid serious injury as a result of lifting weights, consider the following tips: Always loosen up your back muscles before every workout with appropriate warm ups and stretches. For most exercises, you’re probably better off using a training machine...

Posted on February 25, 2016

Blood Pressure and Headaches

Are you suffering from headaches that you don’t know the source of? Many people in such a situation make the mistake of thinking that this can be related to a high blood pressure. The connection between blood pressure and headaches was a common misconception early in the 1900’s, but modern scientific studies have roundly disproven such beliefs. Surprisingly enough, it has been observed that people with a high systolic blood pressure are actually between 40% and 50% less likely to...

Posted on February 5, 2016

Avoiding Back Pain While Running

Running is a good way to get your heart rate up and work out a number of important muscle groups. Unfortunately, the stress that is repeatedly placed on your spine can often result in pain or injury to your lower back. So, if you are one of the many people who enjoy a good run as part of your workout routine, consider the following tips to mitigate your risk: Warm up before starting your run. Stretch out your hamstrings twice...

Posted on January 19, 2016

The Golfer’s Lift

The common wisdom when lifting a heavy object is to squat down, allowing you to lift with your legs instead of your back. When you are picking up a small object, though, the energy that goes into this motion is largely wasted. In such cases, the golfer’s lift is a handy alternative. We call this technique the golfer’s lift because it’s a good way for golfers to retrieve a ball off of the green. It is ideal for retrieving any...

Posted on January 8, 2016

Avoiding Tennis-Related Back Injuries

If you’re an avid tennis player, you may be familiar with back pain. The swinging action involves making quick, explosive motions in your spine that can often result in injuries. When you play tennis, consider the following tips to decrease your risk of hurting yourself: Get the right racquet. If your racquet is too flexible, you will have to swing more to hit the ball effectively. Have a professional help you find a racquet with appropriate firmness, properly sized to...

Posted on December 29, 2015