Ergonomics Services Allergies

Back Pain, Neck Pain and Posture

Back pain and neck pain can strike anyone at any time. In my chiropractic clinic in San Diego, California, we see patients that have injured their backs or necks from lifting boxes, operating heavy machinery, sports injuries, auto accidents and falls. Many non-chiropractic patients or new chiropractic patients would be surprised to find that the most common type of injury that we see in our office is not from lifting 90 pound sacks of concrete but from on-going postural stress.

Bad Posture is the “silent killer” when it comes to our spinal health. Postural stress occurs during both seated and standing positions. Postural stress occurs any time that your spine looses its natural curves and / or moves forward beyond its neutral balance point.
An example of a posturally stressful position for your neck would be when you are sitting at the computer leaning your neck and head forward while either keyboarding or reading the screen. Assuming a posture in which your head and neck are extended out in front of your body reverses the normal curve of your neck and shifts your head forward of its balance point.

When we assume postures that cause stress on our spines, the stability that is inherent in our structure when postural boundaries are respected is lost. Postural stress exposes our ligaments and muscles to prolonged periods of stretching which results in fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back pain and neck pain.

Treating postural stresses resulting neck pain and back pain requires a multifaceted approach. Chiropractic care will relieve the pain and stiffness. This may take several treatments based on the length of time that you have been in pain and the severity of your symptoms. Concurrent to chiropractic care, you must do everything possible to remove the causes of the postural stress. A thorough workstation ergonomic analysis can reveal hidden sources of postural stress. Applying ice packs to the specific areas of neck pain and back pain in twenty minute sessions is also helpful.


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