It’s time stop ignoring your intuition

If you are like millions of Americans, you leave work at the end of the day with a stiff, sore spine. You may have associated pains in the neck and even headaches that stem from the nature of office work. Your spine is suffering the effects of compression- the downward force of gravity, combined with the added pressure of sitting and, possibly, poor posture. Your brain knows your body is in need of a stretch, so what are you going to do about it? Again, if you are like millions of Americans, you are going to ignore those signals and let the pain compound. This is how many of us end up with chronic back pain. So whether you are actually ignoring pain signalls, or you simply don’t know how to go about stretching to account for office-related back pain, it’s time to start being more proactive about caring for our backs. 

The daily tonic: decompression from home

When your spine is suffering from excessive sitting, you need to be proactive about decompression. Imagine your spine as a mechanical wire spring that slowly becomes more and more loaded throughout the day. The parts that are being squished between all the coils are your intervertebral discs and that is why many office workers suffer from disc-related conditions including herniated disc, degenerative disc disease and sciatica- their discs are literally being squeezed to a breaking point. 

The opposite of this effect is decompression- loosening the load of the spring and allowing for the relief and restoration of those embattled discs. You can provide your spine with a decompressive effect from the comfort of your home by using stretches that focus on spinal elongation: 

• Yoga and pilates: there are many “flows“ or routines specifically designed for gentle spinal elongation. 
• Use a tennis ball under the small of your back when you lie down and gently roll back and forth on it. 
• Bring your knees to your chest and hold

By elongating the spine, you open up space between the vertebrae and allow for the influx of healing nutrients and oxygen to start the repair process. 

Spinal health solutions in Westwood

Decompression is just one way you can manage your back pain more effectively. At our office in Westwood, we use a specialized traction table that provides decompression on a more effective scale. If you are interested in finding out more about the applications of decompression for your back pain, give us a call to schedule an appointment today.