Bad Posture can “Switch Off” Back Muscles

Slumping in front of the television or computer could deactivate muscles that support and protect your spine, triggering many otherwise inexplicable cases of lower back pain.

A European Space Agency study in Berlin, Germany, in which young men spent eight weeks in bed, showed that an absence of load on spinal support muscles can sometimes be just as debilitating as a physical injury.

Ultrasound studies have shown that in most cases of lower-back pain, either the lumbar multifidus muscles, which keep the vertebrae in place, or the transversus abdominis, which holds the pelvis together, or both, are inactive. Normally the muscles work continuously to support and protect the lower back.

Heavy lifting, whiplash or other injuries can damage and inactivate these support muscles. This increases the risk of long-term back pain, as people are then more likely to suffer sprains, or damage to the discs or other tissue in the back. However, only between 10 and 15 per cent of cases of back pain begin with such an injury. For the rest, the cause is often a mystery.

Smartphone users ‘risking health’ with overuse of devices

People are risking their health by working on smartphones, tablets and laptops after they have left the office, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

It says people have become “screen slaves” and are often working while commuting or after they get home.

The society said poor posture in these environments could lead to back and neck pain.

Unions said people needed to learn to switch off their devices.

An online survey, of 2,010 office workers by the Society found that nearly two-thirds of those questioned continued working outside office hours.

The organisation said people were topping up their working day with more than two hours of extra screen – time, on average, every day.

The data suggested that having too much work and easing pressure during the day were the two main reasons for the extra workload.

Tension Headaches.

Tension Type Headache

Patient: Woman 49 Years
Occupation: University Administrator
Pain: Constant 4/10

Complaint: Constant, ongoing Headache which is present day and night. This headache eases with analgesics, but never clears. Onset, 3 weeks. Stress at work and poor posture are the major cause.

Treatment: Treatment was gentle Massage and Cranio-Sacral Therapy. The back and front of the neck, back of the head, jaw & facial muscles were all treated.

There was a lot of dialog. The patient was able, confidentially, to speak about what was causing her unhappiness and frustration.

After 2 treatments her Headache was gone, but there was a lot of muscle tension remaining, which required another 4 treatments at weekly intervals.

This patient comes for treatment every month, to keep things at bay.