Has anyone ever told you to “sit up straight” or say “don’t slouch”!
Modern life is very busy. Commuting, driving and life behind a desk force the body to remain still for many hours each day. Then when we are finally home we sit down for dinner, watch some television, read a good book , or sit in front the PC. In 2012 the NHS reported that the average young adult sits for 8 hours a day with the hours increasing to 10+ as we age. The prolonged hours of sitting , coupled with an incorrect posture has great impact on you musculo-skeletal system. Some muscles become short and tense , while others become overstretched and weak. This is also known as Upper Cross Syndrome and relates to bad desk posture with hunched shoulder, curved back and your head tilting back to look at the screen. These imbalances create a vicious cycle and the incorrect posture becomes habit and sitting up straight becomes difficult and laborious. It is not surprising that many patients who suffer from neck and back pain caused by bad posture, seek help through Osteopathy. But how osteopathy can actually help?
Osteopathy uses various techniques including :
– Soft tissue release ( a nice massage for your muscles)
– Articulation techniques , slow gentle movement of the joint of the spine and limbs
– HVLA thrust, clicking the joints
– Muscle lengthening and stretching
All of these techniques are used by our osteopaths at 21st Century Clinic in Reading, Berkshire. Alongside other techniques such as medical acupuncture, taping and prescriptive exercises. By using these techniques you can reduce the tension held in the muscles, relieve pain and improve movement of the joints to avoid and relieve pain.
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