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What Your Posture Tells Us About Your Spine
Your posture can tell us a lot about the shape of your spine
You may have anterior pelvic tilt, a positioning of the body that involves, you guessed it, an exaggerated forward tilting of the pelvis. In this position, there is also an exaggerated arch in the lower back and, as a result your butt will stick out and your stomach will protrude. This is a problem for more serious reasons than making you look funny. If you allow your spine to remain in this hyperextended position as its normal posture, you are putting yourself at enhanced risk for conditions such as:
- Facet joint syndrome
- Spondyloisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
Why do I have anterior pelvic tilt?
Sitting too much, the great evil of our time is probably at least partially at fault. When you sit too much, some of the muscles which control your pelvis get overly tight while others get overly weak from lack of use. The general result of this is a net forward tilt of the pelvis and an increased arch of the spine.
How we go about fixing anterior pelvic tilt in Sacramento
Chiropractic adjustment is effective for relieving pressure from spinal joints and realigning the spine which is often a big contributor to pain in cases of anterior pelvic tilt. Furthermore, we focus on unwinding tightness from overworked muscles such as the hip flexors and quads while adding in strength to muscles that are being underused such as the glutes and hamstrings. Increasing the strength of core stabilizing muscles is a great way to make holding good posture easier.
How Your Body Weight is a Great Asset for Getting Fit
Your body weight can be your greatest tool…
…in your quest to lose weight. For many people, a gym is actually a counterproductive place to attempt fitness goals. Unless you are cut out for the high-intensity culture of a gym, it may leave you spun out and actually less motivated regarding your fitness. Body weight training is a ready made solution for those of us who can’t be bothered to spend a dime on a gym membership or a set of dumbbells.
Perks of body weight training:
- It’s free
- Easy to learn
- Can be performed in your living room
Benefits of body weight training:
- Burns calories to help with weight management…
- …while building muscle simultaneously, which is important-
- particularly in the core muscle group, which are essential for good posture.
- Increases relative strength, which is your strength in relation to body size and…
- also increases reactive strength, or your ability to elongate and contract muscles.
- Finally, it boosts circulation and improves range of motion.
What do you know, these sound like the same benefits as standard weight training and cardiovascular exercise! Body weight training can be performed as stand alone exercises or as part of a circuit i.e. push ups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks performed without a break in between.
The Greatest Gift That Chiropractic Can Give
Remember what it felt like to be young and unencumbered?
One of the greatest benefits of chiropractic is how it improves range of motion, impacting flexibility, reaction speeds, balance and coordination. It’s no wonder that many athletes swear by chiropractic to keep them on top of their game. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we see the impact that sedentary lifestyles have on a human’s flexibility: it is a very sad sight and we are here to change that.
The Importance of Your Sacroiliac Joints
How do my legs connect to my upper body?
No really, how do they? Think about how your legs connect to the upper body and you will be thanking the structures known as sacroiliac (SI) joints. These powerful and pivotal points connect the pelvic bones to the sacrum, and are responsible for conducting force and weight between the upper body and the legs. They are supported by a complex system of ligaments and muscles that provide strength to the region.
Keeping Your Spine Happy With a Running Habit
Runners remember: posture is integral to your success and enjoyment of the sport
We love running and admire everyone who uses running as part of their commitment to staying healthy. However, running can take a toll on the spine. We see it as our responsibility to protect the spines of our running community here in Sacramento. The best way to do that is through focusing on good posture.
- Stay upright: you know you’re tired when the shoulders are slumped and you can barely breathe. But some people are not aware that they are slumping from the start.
- Keep your head centered above the spine so that its weight is properly balanced as you run.
- Keep the face faced forward and the body will follow. Do not look at the ground as it will set a precedent for the neck to follow, angling downwards and soon your shoulders will start to move toward each other, leaving you hunched over.
- Utilize your hips as your center of gravity. Letting the pelvis tilt forward will only lead to back pain. So keep your core upright.
But posture is not at all- beware of fatigue
Fatigue is what causes us to lose this great posture. Once you feel your shoulders caving inwards and your shoulders slumping, it may be time to take a turn toward home. Make sure you don’t run yourself to a point of exhaustion and laziness and posture.
These habits may feel like an adjustment at first but given enough repetition they will become second nature. And for the love of the runner: running everyday on concrete is bad for the cartilage in your back. If your back is aching after a run, it may be in need of some tender loving care- we treat sore tissues and misaligned vertebrae to ensure that you are running at your full mechanical advantage.
Improving Sleep Quality the Most Natural Way Possible
Sleep is central to well-being.
When you sleep restfully, you encourage proper functioning of the body and brain, boosting happiness and performance during waking hours. When people’s central circadian rhythms are disrupted, everything becomes harder: anxiety is increased and your body and brain have to work harder to achieve simple objectives. Caffeine consumption goes up and nutritious eating goes out the window, both of which tamper further with your ability to sleep. It is a vicious cycle that has caught a good portion of the population in its rotation.
Stretched To A Breaking Point
There is such a thing as too much stretching
Yoga addicts, listen up! There is always a breaking point. Remember that when stretching, you are elongating muscle fibers and tendons. The normal benefit is of increased flexibility, less systemic tension and more nervous system coordination; the feeling should be of looseness and freedom. But some people take it too far.
The All-Natural Escape from Sciatica
Don’t wait to take action on sciatica
Studies consistently show that chiropractic is one of the best treatments for sciatic nerve pain. If you are suffering from chronic sciatica, it is a good idea to call our office in Sacramento and schedule an appointment so we can start resolving the underlying cause and help you leave pain behind. But getting in to see a chiropractor at the drop of hat is not always easy and sciatica can cause an exigent pain in need of immediate relief. Here are some tips on what to do.
Breastfeeding Basics: How to Avoid Back Pain
Back pain and breastfeeding go together
Holding any additional weight is likely to put your body at an odd angle, but a baby ups the ante. In order to effectively nurse, you crane your neck to maintain a gaze with your child, while your back often becomes hunched to support the weight on one side. As your spine is already trying to recover from the trauma of the long journey of pregnancy, this additional stress can be untimely. But there are some steps you can take to mitigate the soreness and stiffness that accrues from breastfeeding.
Magnesium is Essential for Bone Health
The reality of bone loss
Today, we’re talking about bone loss, a natural part of aging that will occur to us all in varying degrees. Starting during our thirties and accelerating thereafter, our bones begin to lose mineral density. This leaves us vulnerable in a variety of ways- take our spines, which are already often compromised by unhealthy lifestyles, poor diets and lack of exercise. Bone loss makes the vertebrae weaker and therefore more likely to fracture from compression- the resulting compression fractures cause terrible pain, limit range of motion and can hasten spinal degeneration. So what can we do about it?