Posture Insights

Many individuals will be looking up at the fireworks this 4th of July weekend. A word of caution when keeping the neck in one position for too long can cause neck discomfort and/or pain. Neck discomfort and pain can cause significant disruption with everyday activities. The neck is an area that is constantly in motion. Keeping it in one position for an extended period can cause damage/injury and spinal misalignment. Although neck pain often resolves on its own in a few days. However, it can lead to headaches or an inability to concentrate, affecting an individual's quality of life. Here are some potential causes and remedies for decreasing neck discomfort and pain.

Keeping The Neck In One Position For Too Long Can Cause

• Mechanical issues and imbalances in the upper spine, known as the cervical spine
• Muscle tension
• Muscle strain
• Spinal misalignment
• Poor posture
• Sleeping problems
• Injury or trauma to the neck from the force and weight
• Chronic neck misalignment

If symptoms come on suddenly, are severe, or result in neurological issues like severe shooting pain, tingling, numbness, or sudden loss of arm strength, seek medical attention immediately.

Treatment

When the neck is strained or out of alignment, it disrupts nerve circulation integrity. Spinal misalignment is subtle in nature and can be difficult to detect without a professional examination. A chiropractor is trained to recognize any underlying issues to reset/realign the entire spine to optimal form. They will assess, guide, and treat the issue/s specific to the individual's needs. Once the nerves are working uninhibited, a chiropractor can recommend neck exercises, stretches, and more to strengthen and prevent neck problems. When spinal alignment is restored, the body will begin to operate at full potential.

Healthy Body Composition

Meal Prep to Success

For individuals that want to eat less and change eating habits, change up the approach.

Meal prepping is a healthy habit that many have had success with because it helps achieve sustainable outcomes in weight loss. Every meal plan will vary for everyone.

1. First, individuals have different health goals.
2. Second, everyone has a different approach to their diet choices. For example, an individual might want to go low-carb and goes with the ketogenic diet. In comparison, some individuals are comfortable planning a week in advance and freezing labeled plastic containers.

Regardless of goals, dietary, or fitness preferences, a workable meal plan is recommended. The ultimate goal is to prevent feeling overwhelmed about planning the next healthy meal and resort to a junk food meal. To steer clear of unhealthy food choices and achieve a healthy body composition, here is a real-world tip to create and stick to a healthy meal plan.

Have a well-stocked fridge and pantry

Keeping to a meal plan is easier with a well-stocked fridge and pantry. Ensure to keep a list of essential groceries whenever going to the store to ensure plenty. This list of staples includes:

• Eggs
• A favorite protein
• Whole grains
• Yogurt
• Healthy oils
• Herbs and spices
• Butter
• Leafy greens
• Beans

Having these ingredients ready to go means a healthy meal can be quickly put together when short on time.

Be realistic and make room for crazy days

You don’t have to come up with a seven-day weekly meal plan. It is important to change up the routine, so boredom doesn't set in. Before planning and prepping several meals, double-check the calendar. Allow yourself some slack. This could be one or two lunches or dinners in a week just in case something comes up. If batch cooking, even schedule days for leftovers for that extra flexibility.

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

BMJ. 2017 Advances in the diagnosis and management of neck pain. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28807894/

Mayo Clin Proc. 2015. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neck pain. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25659245/

Open Orthop J. 2016. A Qualitative Description of Chronic Neck Pain has Implications for Outcome Assessment and Classification. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5301418/

Phys Ther. 2018. A Mechanism-Based Approach to Physical Therapist Management of Pain. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6256939/

As you teach healthy ergonomics, remember these neutral posture guidelines apply to children but can also benefit adults. The main focus is to always work in a neutral posture. Following these guidelines will ensure your child uses a computer in a comfortable and ergonomically correct fashion.

Neutral Posture

• Healthy upper body posture means the shoulders are back, relaxed and not slumped/slumping forward over the keyboard.
• The back/spine should be at a 90° degree angle supported by a chair with proper back support.
• The knees should not compress the chair seat. If they do adjust the seat to go back enough for the knees to be free.
• The knees should be at a 90° degree angle behind the knees and should be open.
• Don't sit with legs and feet tucked under the chair.
• The feet should be firmly flat on a stable surface ensuring proper support on the floor or a footrest.
• The head should stay balanced and not tilted back or too far forward.
• The upper arms should be close to the body and relaxed.
• The elbows should be at a 90° degree angle and the forearm horizontal.
• The wrist should remain in a neutral position.

Let your child use the computer for a little while then adjust their posture and the workstation if needed, so they are working in the most neutral posture. Find ways to help them remind themselves of their posture and to take frequent breaks to stretch out and move around.

Create/Organize a Normal Workstation

• The work area should be a space that is easily accessible by a child while they can sit comfortably/properly without having to bend awkwardly or overly twist to reach for something.
• Keep the items that are used the most while working at the computer within arms reach.
• If your child needs to type and use a text document or book for reference, make sure there is a document holder/stand that is next or as near to the screen as possible so that they don't have to turn or twist their head over and over or in a strenuous fashion. You want them to use their eyes with minimal head movement other than to look away for an eye break, a quick neck stretch and repositioning to stay comfortable.

Check the Screen Position

• The computer screen should be positioned to be able to comfortably view the screen without having to tilt their neck backward or forwards.
• Too high, the child's neck will tilt back, and too low means it will be bent forward.
• Adjust the height and angle to avoid these incorrect postures.

Workstation Equipment

Ergonomic furniture and equipment can help create a comfortable and adjustable workstation for your child as they grow.

• An ergonomic chair with height adjustment, adjustable/comfortable seat and proper lumbar back support.
• Make sure they work on a stable and sturdy desk with a flat work surface so that your child works in a neutral posture.
• An ergonomically tilted keyboard system or a height-adjustable keyboard and mouse platform can help keep the forearms and wrists in a neutral posture.
• The fit of the keyboard and mouse should be comfortable in your child's hands.
• If they have small hands, then consider a smaller keyboard and mouse if necessary.

Screen Glare

• Check the computer screen for glare areas/bright spots. This could affect the eyes and cause the child to start moving their head/neck around too much and in the wrong way that would create a crick or strain.
• Adjust/reposition the screen to get the correct angle for the proper posture or adjust the room's lighting.
• Proper lighting is a must for reading and protecting the eyes.
• Make sure they take frequent eye breaks and look away at something other than a screen like a piece of furniture or out a window and that is farther away to readjust the eyes.

Computer Time Management

• Posture problems associated with computer use vary on the length of time that your child uses the computer, takes rest breaks and does other tasks/chores to keep them moving/stretching out and not staying seated or in one position for too long.
• Regulating computer time use is important and can be done just watching the clock and saying when is when or use an app to set the time on and off. These apps give screen alerts and tell when to take a break and provide simple stretching exercises.

As part of our Acute Injury Treatment & Rehabilitation Practice, we are presently offering detailed Institute For Functional Medicine® Collaborative Assessment Programs focused on Integrative Treatment Protocols. We completely evaluate personal history, current nutrition, activity behaviors, environmental exposures to toxic elements, psychological and emotional factors, in tandem with your genetics.

Our purpose with these high-level assessments is to understand the root cause of chronic disorders and to treat the person holistically.  Integrative Personalized Medicine is the future of healthcare and we are very proud to bring it to all our patients.  Our online Functional Medicine Health Assessment Questionnaire has given insights into our patients' present Functional Health.

Do you have poor Posture? Fix it with *FOOT ORTHOTICS* El Paso, TX.