Do You Have Winter Posture?
This has been an incredibly cold winter so far and we still haven't got through February and March! The intense cold in December brought many problems including 'winter posture'. This is when you hunch against the cold - shoulders raised, hands in pockets, head bent down. With ice and snow on the ground walking patterns change to shorter more careful steps.
Should you sustain that posture for a period of time, it can lead to neck and mid back restriction... even more likely to occur in winter months when we are all less active anyway due to the shorter days. Symptoms are general stiffness across the shoulders and mid back with neck stiffness and reduced neck movement in turning left and right. For those who are predisposed to them, headaches may become more frequent and intense. There may even be occasional pins and needles into the hands and arms.
Added to this there has been a local viral cough that can last over a month for some. This can cause mid back pain and shallower breathing patterns which again lead to diaphragm and thoracic spine stiffness. There may be rib pain and again shoulder and neck pain.
What Can You Do About Winter Posture?
The good news is that this is very easily reversed with osteopathic massage and joint articulation. Osteopathic treatment aims to massage the muscles of the back, neck and shoulders to encourage better ribcage function. Joint articulation and manipulation encourages rib movement when breathing and moving and also better posture. The end result should be a more upright stance with enhanced rib movement when you take a deep breath and a general feeling of ease of movement.
If you would like to help your Winter Posture then call us now on 0208 977 6396
There are also many individually tailored stretches that we can prescribe to help prevent winter posture and here below is one that you can do at any time: -
Rib stretch:
Sit nice and upright on a chair ensuring that your feet are firmly on the floor. Raise one arm above your head. Take a deep breath in. As you exhale stretch your arm up higher and you should feel a stretch all along the ribcage of the side with the raised arm. Hold for the count of 3 and slowly lower your arm. Repeat using the other arm.
If you have any pains or problems with doing this exercise then please stop and contact us immediately as there may be other exercises that are more appropriate for you as an individual.
|
