How is your posture? Posture is an important part of everyday life that many of us tend not to focus on – Do you slouch in your desk chair, or slump at your computer while you do work? When you stand for prolonged periods of time, do you notice your stomach sticking
out a bit? These are all signs of core muscle weakness that can affect your posture and cause pain in your back or neck.
Your core muscles help you do a lot – from sitting, to walking, to doing a large number of physical activities. If your core muscles are weak, you may unknowingly be causing some damage to your body. Contact Reddy Care today to figure out how we can help you strengthen your core muscles and improve your overall health.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE CORE MUSCLES?
When most people think of core muscles, they immediately think of the abdominals. However, the core is made up of much more than that! In fact, your core muscles include your abdominal, lower back, pelvic, and gluteus muscles.
The group of muscles that make up your core help with stabilizing your body, constructing your posture, and allowing your skeleton to move properly. When any of the muscles within that group become weak, your body experiences an instability that makes it difficult for your body to function properly. As a result, you end up compensating by straining different areas of the body, most commonly the back and neck muscles. As a result, this leads to undesirable consequences, such as poor posture, fatigue, inflammation, or pain.
HOW CAN I STRENGTHEN MY CORE MUSCLES?
When you are experiencing pain, sometimes it is necessary to seek the assistance of a trained professional in the field of human movement. At Reddy Care, our licensed physical therapists will conduct a physical
evaluation to determine where the pain is rooted and what muscles must be strengthened in order to correct it.
Whether you are feeling pain in your back, neck, shoulders, or legs, we will perform a thorough analysis of your posture, movement, and strength to pinpoint exactly what is causing your pain. From there, we will create an individualized treatment plan for you based on your specific needs, aimed at strengthening your core, improving your posture, and alleviating your pain.
There are also a few tips you can do on your own, either before PT treatments or in combination with them, in order to strengthen your core and relieve your pain.
These include:
1. Improving your posture. Make sure to stand up frequently, at least every 30 minutes, and vary your positions of work throughout the day. Aim to correct your posture when sitting and standing, making adjustments as needed.
2. Avoiding injury. Make sure you know the proper way to lift, bend, and pick up objects, even if they are not heavy. It is important to lift with your legs, rather than your back. Our experts can show you proper body mechanics with everyday tasks.
3. Getting adequate rest and exercise. Every day takes a toll on your body, even if you don’t realize it. Sleep deprivation can actually worsen your pain tolerance and decrease your strength. Relaxing and sleeping helps your body to rejuvenate after a long day, and those hours before 12 a.m. are especially important. Exercising can help you fall asleep earlier, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed the next day. By taking a walk for at least 30 minutes every day, you can get better sleep at night, in addition to improving your strength, flexibility, and heart health.
4. Eating nutritious meals. If you are in pain, it is incredibly important to eat the right foods. A poor diet can aggravate your pain by causing further inflammation, especially when eating processed or fried foods. Instead, make it a habit to eat vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. It is also important to drink a lot of water, as dehydration can dry out your tissues. Keep a glass of water by your desk and refill it during the day so you (and your tissues) stay hydrated.
5. Getting expert help. The best solution for your back or neck pain is to restore proper movement, strength, and coordination for maximum results. At Reddy Care our physical therapists are here to help you improve your function and relieve your pain.
If you are looking to strengthen your core, relieve your pain, and improve your overall health, contact us today!
Reddy Care Great Neck (Great Neck Physical Therapy): 516-829-0030
Reddy Care Farmingdale (Farmingdale Physical Therapy): 516-420-2900
North Shore Towers: 718-224-8480
Woodbury Physical Therapy: 516-367-1111
In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy (Home Care): 516-829-0030
*Home therapy servicing Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx & Manhattan
