Transcript Small Changes, Big Differences

Small Changes, Big Differences:
Preventing Injury And Chronic Pain
in Everyday Life
Francesca Biasucci, MPT
Common Pain Syndromes
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low back pain
neck pain
headaches and migraine
upper back pain
sciatica
shoulder/shoulder blade pain
Chronic Pain Causes
Traumatic Injury
car accident
sports injury
fall
Chronic Pain Causes
Congenital
Conditions
scoliosis
leg length
difference
bony anomalies
Chronic Pain Causes
Repetitive Strain Injury
sports
work
home/childcare
Chronic Pain Causes
Poor Body Mechanics
lifting
bending
twisting
kneeling
rising
Chronic Pain Causes
Poor Posture
standing
sitting
walking
Review: Chronic Pain
Traumatic injury
Congenital conditions
Repetitive strain injury
Poor body mechanics
Poor posture
Which can you control?
Traumatic injury
Congenital conditions
Repetitive strain injury
Poor body mechanics
Poor posture
Poor Posture :
What’s the Problem?
Headaches & neck pain
Degenerative bony changes
Upper back and shoulder pain
Degenerative soft tissue changes:
discs, muscles, fascia, tendons, etc.
Low back pain
Today’s example:
Head and Neck Position
Forward Head Posture
Consequences
Adaptive muscle shortening of suboccipitals
Adaptive muscle lengthening of interior neck
muscles
Compensatory shifts in alignment below the neck:
upper back, low back, pelvis
Compressed vertebrae and intervertebral discs
Compressed nerve roots affecting neck and
arms/hands
Muscle pain, referred pain and over time,
chronic pain in head, face, neck and
shoulders
Respiratory effects
Who, Me?
desk work
driving
watching t.v./reading
walking
listening to a lecture
What Can We Do About It?
Develop “postural awareness”
Learn postural corrections
Practice, practice, practice!
Postural Awareness
Body Check:
Check your head and neck posture
periodically throughout the day.
Repeated often, the body check will
become second nature.
Learn Postural Corrections
Learn how to correct what you find in
your Body Check
Do this 1000X/day...
Corrected posture becomes the new
normal over time
Awareness:
What Am I Looking For?
Head & Neck Posture:
1. Where is my ear?
1. Where is my face pointed?
Correct alignment
Where is my face pointing?
The sunflower concept
Where Should It Be Pointing?
Correction
Chin Tuck
Practice:
Car seat headrest
Up against a wall
Pushing towel roll into floor (lying
down)
Chin Tuck: Why?
• realigns cervical spine to more efficient
position
• stretches shortened front and back of
neck muscles
• strengthens weak and stretched interior
neck muscles
• relieves pressure on nerve roots
Breathing Effects
The Breathing Experiment
The Madison Challenge
Seminar Series
February 2009
Francesca Biasucci, MPT