Suffering from headache, shoulder, neck and back pain?

Your bad posture may cause you physical discomfort if you do not pay attention to it now! I decided to write about posture, because it seems that only few people are paying attention to a potentially huge cause of current or future discomfort. Maybe I’m more aware of my posture because I work in the health field and I know what awaits me if I do not pay attention.

Every day I see people with bad posture. Even kids have tendency to adopt a bad posture from an early age. Today it’s common for even young kids to have an electronic tablet or Smartphone. They spent most of their time bending over their tablets or Smartphones. Nothing too alarming at the moment, but what will happen 10 years from now? Will they suffer from chronic neck pain? Will they be diagnosed with “Forward head posture”? Take the time to look around and analyze the posture of the people you see. You’ll start to notice that many people have very bad posture!

You’ll realize that many people have rounded shoulders, hyperflexion of the neck what’s referred to as Forward Head Posture. What’s most alarming is that children start developing a poor posture at a young age. Even a simple factor such as choosing a backpack for school can make a difference in the development of either a good or bad posture for your child.When I was young, my mother kept telling me to sit up straight whenever I watched television. Today I am grateful for her advice and also to the Rolfing sessions I got two years ago. But I worry for the next generation! If you love your children it would be a service to remind them to stand up straight. There are tools (books and videos) on the market to improve your posture.

It is not just new technology that’s responsible for postural distortions! I remember the first few months of my career as a massage therapist; I had customers who came back every week for treatments for shoulder and neck pain. I asked them if there was something that was perpetuating their discomfort. After a while, I found my answer! They were sleeping on their stomaches, or on their side or their back using a too thick pillow, which positioned their neck in an hyperflexion position night after night. It is obvious that my treatments (massage of connective tissue and trigger point therapy) lasted only a short time. So, be careful not to sabotage your body during sleep.

I also recommend the DVD “Posture, Get It Straight …” by Janice Novak. This DVD is very clear and filled with exercises that will help you achieve better posture. An elastic band is included with the DVD to assist with the exercises in the video. I bought it and can assure you it’s a solid asset for those who want to improve their posture.

Another good resource is the Alexander Technique. The Alexander Technique is a form of education that attempts to recognize and overcome reactive, habitual limitations in both movement and thought.

You don’t need to suffer with the effects of poor posture. Remember, there are several resources available to improve our posture. We have:

• Rolfing
• Exercises with the DVD or the book Posture, “Get It Straight!” By Janice Novak
• The Alexander Technique

Thanks for reading!

To book a session, Call me/Text me (better) at: 213-631-8839

It is easier for me to answer your text message because I might be in sessions for few hours before I can listen to my voice mail!