Technology and Posture | Bad Laptop

Is Technology affecting your posture?

Are you getting neck pains, shoulder, knee or elbow pains, what about pain in your wrist?

Are you on the computer, laptop, tablet, game console or mobile phone for a significant amount of time each day? Sitting in front of a computer hour after hour can and will take a toll on your health.

What you may think is a short time looking over information a lot of times becomes much more, and before you are aware after time, you are in pain, and you are not aware of the cause of this pain.

Ninety percent of the population has some degree of forward head posture. Did you Know? Forward head posture can cause a host of issues including mid-back and low-back complications as well as head, neck and TMJ problems.

It has been estimated to shave as many as ten years off your life. 10 years!

When you are on your computer or laptop next time, pay attention to how you have yourself set up.

Is your equipment placed correctly?

Are you sitting up straight? 

Once you sit up straight you may find that other elements are out of balance.

Is your neck bent over to see the screen? Raise the sight level.

Is the screen to far away to see well?  Pull it closer to you.

Viewing Angle - you should NOT being looking down at your screen. You should be looking straight ahead at it.

Typing Height - Keep arms level when typing. Maintain at least an arm's length distance between yourself and the keyboard, making

sure your arms are level. You'll have more energy to keep things moving with ease at this distance.

Chair Height -  is it at the right level for you. 

Does the back offer sufficient support for you?

 

Seating Posture - Make sure that your back is straight. Sit in an upright, position and your lower back should be supported by your chair.(proper lumbar support is crucial)
or Use a small pillow for extra back support: tuck a pillow near the small of
your back, and you'll instantly sit up straighter.

Take a Break -  every thirty minutes. Your spine is made for motion not sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time. Get up and take a walk.

Stretch - and recharge your stiff muscles. It will help relieve the stress in your muscles and joints and will increase your flexibility and range of motion.

Look in a Mirror - A small or medium sized mirror propped up in your office
can do wonders for your improvement efforts.Sometimes it helps to see your posture, so you can see how much of an effect it might be having on your body.

Learn to Identify - back pain. You may have had back pain for a long time and have simply adjusted to it, it's a good idea to get a massage or Chiropractic consultation to find out where pain may just be stored or coming from.

Minor adjustments can have a huge impact on how you feel at the end of a long day.

With just a few simple strategies, improve your posture and computer habits significantly. You'll find yourself at ease, more productive, and enjoying extra energy from your new focus on health, and

You will feel better for it. 

Do you have any great suggestions for helping to maintain good posture?

Let us know in the comment section below.

River City Chiropractic | Changing Lives in Elizabeth City, NC

5 Reasons to Stretch

Stretching is important - Many exercise-related injuries occur because muscles and tendons have become tight and joints such as the shoulder and knee have lost their full mobility.

Have you ever looked at an infant in awe of their ability to move in ways most of us would give
anything to be able to do? Grabbing hold of their little feet and stretching them to their mouth just to nibble on those toes.

Did you know...that stretching is a natural activity. How often have you woken up out of bed and stretched instinctively or after traveling long distances in the car?
Most people do not even realize that stretching is actually a form of exercise.
Stretching involves elongating a specific muscle or muscle group to its fullest potential.

Some of the benefits of stretching include:
#1 - To alleviate lower back pain.
Stretching your back muscles will alleviate pain.
Stiff and tight muscles in the lower back, hamstrings, hips and buttocks is one of the more common causes of lower back pain.

#2 – Improve cardiovascular health.
Recent studies have found that stretching can improve artery function and lower blood pressure. Imagine something as simple as stretching can improve your heart health.

#3 – Definitely increases flexibility.
Flexibility is the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen, but be careful, don’t overdo it. Trying to do too much can result in muscle strains or tears. This must be done slowly and correctly. Lack of flexibility causes your movement to become slower and less fluid and makes you more susceptible to muscle strains, ligament sprains and other soft tissue injuries.

#4 - Improves circulation.
Stretching will increase blood flow to the muscles. This increased blood flow brings more nourishment to the muscles and removes more waste byproducts from the muscles. Increased blood flow can also help speed up recovery from muscle and joint injuries.

#5 -  Improves balance and coordination.

Stretching improves balance and coordination and improved balance and coordination lowers your risk for falls.
Don't overlook the benefits of stretching. 

Make sure that stretching is a regular part of your fitness program.

Dr. Scott Mawhiney can give you specific exercise routines to help you. Give the staff at River City Chiropractic a call today. They will be glad to get you on the path to a healthier pain free lifestyle..River City Chiropractic - 224 N. Poindexter Rd. Elizabeth City, NC  27909  

(252) 335.7709

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