Your pain is sending you a message. That pain in your knee, back, hip, neck or shoulder is trying to get your attention. It’s saying that something in your body isn’t quite right. There is a good chance that the chronic pain you are experiencing is telling you that your body is out of alignment. Yes alignment, like your car.
Our various body parts, shoulders, knees, hips etc. are like our car tires. They need to be properly aligned or pressures can build up on structures like ankles, knee joints, vertebrae, etc. When they are not, the various body parts start talking to us. First maybe it’s a twinge, then it’s soreness, then inflammation sets in and when it’s gone too far, changes to the actual supporting structures start to happen. Without really looking at the cause of why a pain exists, it may just be destined to continue or happen again in the future.
This is where treating the posture comes in. By realigning the body so that the various parts are balanced and centered, the body “wears” more evenly and can move more effectively and efficiently. The body will then stop talking to you through pain. Here are some techniques for better posture:
Scoot back in your seat. When you are sitting down in a chair, car or plane, move your tailbone as far back in the seat as you can. This will reposition your hips, elongate your spine and move your head over your shoulders. Try it right now!
Look up when you walk. Because we are forward focused on things like computers and cell phones, our heads tend to move forward of our shoulders and that posture is carried around when we walk, causing excess pressure on the neck and upper back. Instead raise your chin as you walk around to help bring your head over your shoulders. Then simply avert your eyes to see the ground.
Go barefoot when you can, or at least wear a minimal slipper or shoe while at home. This will strengthen your feet and ankles which are part of good posture foundation. This also lengthens and strengthens your Achilles tendon.
Stand at your desk. Too much sitting weakens many posture muscles and can cause you to look hunched over and older than you are. Standing at your desk gives you a workout for all your posture muscles and helps keep your upper back from rounding forward.
Dance like no ones watching (they really are not anyway). Dancing and moving your body in lots of ways are good for the joints like a varied diet is good for the body. Joints that have limited movements during your everyday life get used to only moving in those limited motions and then when asked in the future to do something different, like bend over and pick up something on the floor, may have difficulty doing it. Dancing to your favorite music is an easy and fun way to get your joints moving. Flail your arms up over your head, twist at the waist, lift your knees, squat as you boogie down. You’ll have some fun, release a bit of stress and your joints and muscles will be in a bit better condition than when you started.
Drink MORE water. Yes really! Muscles and tendons need a hydrated environment. Being dehydrated is a sure fire way to bring on needless muscle and joint pain. To find the ideal amount to drink, divide your weight in half and then drink that much water in ounces daily. Example: 160 lbs = 80 ounces of water. Ideally this is real water. Soda, coffee and tea are dehydrating.
