Avoid Back and Neck Pain with These Tips
from Murfreesboro Chiropractic Clinic

Providing healthy, pain-free living is part of the mission of Rutherford Clinic of Chiropractic, and we fulfill our mission in various ways. Our Murfreesboro chiropractor Dr. Wesley Stewart offers many services that alleviate pain and correct the underlying cause of pain. We also strive to educate patients on lifestyle changes and habits you can use to keep pain at bay in the first place.

Pain Prevention Starts with a Strong and Healthy Back

Exercise can help prevent back pain by increasing endurance, strength and muscle function. Low-impact aerobic exercise supplemented by core-strengthening exercises are ideal choices. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can also take a lot of stress off your back as it helps reduce the pressure that excess weight causes.

Standing, sitting and lifting are three activities that require proper support and alignment. Standing with your pelvis in a neutral position helps distribute your weight, while sitting on a chair with solid lower back support and arm rests can do the same. Proper lifting posture involves keeping your back straight and using the power of your legs to hoist up the load, bending at the knees and holding the lifted item as near to your body as possible.

Chronic neck pain often comes from chronic poor posture, while other neck pain can come from keeping your neck in a static or awkward position. If you spend hours driving or staring at your computer screen, you can help avoid pain with regular breaks. Getting up to walk around can help, as can stretching your neck muscles by shrugging your shoulders, pulling your shoulder blades back, and keeping your shoulders square while stretching your neck to either side. Our chiropractor advises keeping computer screens at eye level so you can keep your head and directly over your spine instead of hunched forward. Scrunching your neck to support a telephone and sleeping on your stomach can also cause pain by adding stress to your neck.

What other pain-prevention tips can you share?

Spinal Health Tips from Our Murfreesboro Chiropractor

Our spines do all the tough work of holding our bodies in the upright position and the important job of protecting our spinal cords. The three major sections of our spines - the cervical (upper back and neck), the thoracic (middle back), and the lumbar spine (lower back) - are made up of individual bones called vertebrae which are separated by discs. If one of the discs becomes herniated or the spinal column is jarred out of alignment, the pain can be intense and long-lasting.

There are many lifestyle steps you can take to keep your spine in top health. Good posture, regular exercise, and proper nutrition are important. You can use ergonomic furniture and learn proper lifting techniques so you don’t overexert your spine. Stress management techniques are another useful tool. Chiropractic care at the Rutherford Clinic of Chiropractic can also be an important element of keeping your spine healthy. Additionally, a postural screening could reveal important clues about your spine’s health.

Your Murfreesboro Chiropractor Has Many Chiropractic Care Solutions

One way we can help relieve neck pain and upper back pain is through spinal manipulation to bring the spinal column into alignment. If you are experiencing low back pain or pain from a herniated disc, Dr. Stewart might recommend spinal decompression. Using natural gravity and your body’s weight, he can gently lengthen the spine to decompress the vertebrae and alleviate the built-up pressure. He may also recommend corrective exercises, nutritional counseling or lifestyle changes to keep your spine in top shape.

If your spine has been injured in an auto accident, sports-related incident or work injury, Dr. Stewart may recommend other treatments to aid in your spinal rehabilitation. This may include physiotherapy procedures, ultrasound, moist heat or cold therapy. He might also prescribe microamperage neural stimulation and interferential electrical muscle stimulation to assist in the healing process.

What questions do you have about spinal health? Leave a comment below and we’ll respond in an upcoming blog. At Rutherford Clinic of Chiropractic we provide “The Care You Need From the People Who Care.”