Got Pain?

Get rid of it!

It seems we depend a lot on other practitioners to fix our aches and pains. Back pain - get an adjustment at the chiropractor, sore neck - go to the massage therapist, shoulder pain - go get acupuncture, knee pain - replace it! Although I believe those modalities are beneficial for some, I also know that oftentimes people ignore where the problem actually stems from.

For the last 3 years, I have studied Posture Alignment with The Egoscue Method and Yoga as Therapy with Doug Keller. Both believe that if you fix your posture, you will not have pain. From personal experience, I understand the importance of proper alignment. I suffered from SI joint pain for weeks before realizing that the pain was stemming from rotation in my torso and hips, not where my symptom was. After realigning my upper body there was an immediate effect on how my lower body felt and functioned.

The one thing people overlook is posture. It is a simple concept; our joints are supposed to line up, creating 90 degree angles. This is the blueprint of our skeletal structure. If it deviates from this position, our bodies will let us know with pain! The great thing is you can fix it... yourself. Just like a chiropractic adjustment, the goal is to move the bones into the right position. With exercise therapy (corrective postural exercises), you retrain the right muscles to move the bone into the right position and, most importantly, get those muscles to hold the bone there!

Here is a simple test to check your own posture:

1. Stand with your heels touching the wall, back against the wall. Is your head touching the wall? Are both shoulders against the wall? Do you feel like you are falling forward?
2. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Are your feet facing forward? Are you knee caps facing the same way? Is one shoulder higher than the other?
3. Close your eyes. Do you feel like your weight is evenly distributed? Are you more on your heels or toes?

Send me a message on what you have found and I'll give you some corrective exercises to realign your body! Send your answers here.