posture Archives

Interviewer: We’ve heard it since we were kids, sit up straight. We all know slouching is bad for the back, but sitting up straight can also cause strain. Dr. Rudy Gari from Florida Pain Relief Group is here to help us find the happy medium. Hi Dr. Gari.

Dr. Gari: Hello.

Interviewer: So I think I’m sitting properly right now.

Dr. Gari: Yes, you are. Yes, you are.

Interviewer: Okay. But is there some ways that we can sit that we think we’re doing the right thing but we’re not?

Dr. Gari: Well, there is something that’s called the loss of lordosis. So people that have for example back pain. So your back should be curved. That’s called the lordosis. It means the curvature of the back that’s natural. And so, that actually allows us to have less back pain when we have that lordosis. Patients that have back pain for example can get muscle spasms and they lose that typical lordosis and now their back is flat. That flatness actually increases the pressure in nerve because our bodies were not designed to sit that way.

So while posture is very important, but often with the terms posture is also your core muscles. So strengthening your core muscles in many ways helps your posture, helps your pain and there is a lot of things that are done with physical therapy.

Interviewer: Yes, indeed. So bad posture can cause not only back pain but what else can that do?

Dr. Gari: Well, it can cause back pain and it can also cause you to pivot the wrong way. It can cause you to have a bad gait and it can lead to a lot of other problems in your back, in your neck, and other places.

Interviewer: I’m thinking neck and headaches from bad posture.

Dr. Gari: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Interviewer: Definitely. Okay. Should we get things for our chairs and…

Dr. Gari: Well, if you think about it, sitting in chairs is not natural.

Interviewer: Okay. So stop sitting?

Dr. Gari: So our bodies weren’t designed to sit but we do. So one of the things that people do is some very simple things. For example, sitting at that big medicine ball. That’s going to correct your posture because your body is gonna normally adjust, your core muscles are going to pick it up to make sure that you don’t fall, that you sit correctly.

Interviewer: So throw out that office chair and get the medicine ball?

Dr. Gari: Throw out the office chair and get that big medicine ball, sit on the medicine ball, stand up. Standing is much better for you than sitting.

Interviewer: All right.

Dr. Gari: And especially when it comes to that pressure on your lower back.

Interviewer: They do have those stand up desks now.

Dr. Gari: Those are pretty good.

Interviewer: Do you recommend that?

Dr. Gari: I absolutely do. High heels can cause some bad posture. I know that you know that though. Everybody likes high heels, we feel good about it but if you have back pain, that’s not…

Interviewer: Put those away.

Dr. Gari: You might wanna put those away for a while.

Interviewer: Too much strain. Let’s talk about picking things up wrong. What are we doing?

Dr. Gari: Well, the worst thing that you can do is to bend forward and pick something up.

Interviewer: Okay. Don’t do that.

Dr. Gari: If you must pick up, don’t use your back muscles to lift that object. You wanna make sure you maintain that lordosis, that curvature. Squat down and use your legs to lift up that object. Sometimes we have those back braces so you can put those on if you have to lift something because that’s gonna help your back. What you don’t wanna do though, you don’t wanna wear those on a regular basis because that will actually weaken your core muscles. We want our core muscles to be the ones doing the work of keeping posture and not get used to those back braces.

Interviewer: So the key to keeping that healthy is keeping this habit?

Dr. Gari: It’s all about the core muscles absolutely, Pilates.

Interviewer: Right, yeah, very well.

Dr. Gari: You know Pilates, right?

Interviewer: Mm-mmh.

Dr. Gari: Pilates was a physician who started that because he had back problems and he did all those exercises for himself.

Interviewer: All right. It might be time to try some of those. Dr. Gari, thank you very much. Florida Pain Relief Group even schedules same-day appointments. You can visit their website, or give them a call. It is 844 (KICK-PAIN). We’ll be right back with more Daytime so don’t go away.

If you pinch a nerve in your wrist, you could develop carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that makes your hand or arm feel numb or tingly. This can make your hand feel weak and make it harder to do everyday activities, especially if you have a job that requires a lot of time on the computer.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that is usually easy to treat. With treatment, you should be able to heal over time and get rid of the numbness and tingling associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Simple Strategies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief

Some of the strategies that can relieve your carpal tunnel syndrome pain are simple to begin. As soon as you begin having symptoms, you should start the treatment process right away to keep the condition from worsening.

Here are some simple ways to relieve your carpal tunnel syndrome:

- Wrist splints– Using a wrist splint can help relieve your pain and keep your condition from worsening. The splint keeps your wrist in a position that relieves the pressure on your nerves. You can even wear it while sleeping so you don’t put unnecessary strain on your wrist while your rest.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)– Using NSAIDs may help to reduce the swelling and pain related to your carpal tunnel syndrome for short-term relief.

Talk to your doctor to determine the best course of action for your carpal tunnel syndrome, especially if the simple strategies do not provide relief.

Advanced Strategies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief

If the simple strategies for pain relief do not help you feel better, you may need to try a more advanced strategy for your carpal tunnel syndrome. For example, your medical team could inject the injured area with a corticosteroid.

These cortisone shots can help get rid of some of the pressure on the median nerve to help lessen your pain. They can also reduce the inflammation and swelling in your hand or wrist.

If your carpal tunnel syndrome is particularly bad, you may need to get surgery to relieve your pain. Talk to your doctor to see if this is a necessary step for you.

There are two different options for carpal tunnel syndrome surgery: either open surgery or endoscopic surgery. Either option may take some time to heal, but both can provide relief for your advanced carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tips for Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If possible, you want to try to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, especially after you work to treat it. Keep your wrist brace and use it when needed. Take breaks from the computer or whatever activity causes the strain on your wrists.

If swelling or pain begins, ice the area to reduce the swelling. Try to keep your wrists straight or keeping a slight bend in them while doing the activity that caused your condition in the first place.
Get your doctor’s advice to keep your carpal tunnel syndrome under control. This condition is easy to treat, but can be a massive inconvenience while it is going on. Take care of yourself and be proactive about keeping carpal tunnel syndrome at bay.