There are two main types of muscles that contribute to a solid core

Sitting at your desk all day, every day, is eventually going to cause some kind of pain and dysfunction in your back, unless you take proactive measures to stop its occurence! For most people, a prescription of improving posture would suffice but its hardly that simple of a problem. No matter how many times you are told to sit up straight, you’re not going to be able to maintain it unless you have postural balance. No matter how you spin it, good posture starts with the muscles. 

Postural and phasic muscles in the core contribute to postural balance

In order to take action, you need to understand what is happening in the muscles of your core which contribute to good posture. 

• Postural muscles are the deep-lying muscle sets that work to maintain your posture despite the downward compressive force of gravity. These muscles are primarily composed of slow-twitch fibers and are almost always active. Therefore, they tend to tighten from overuse.
• Phasic muscles are mostly composed of fast-twitch fibers and are activated according to your level of movement. People who are sedentary tend to severely underuse these muscles, which then lengthen and become weak. 

This has a double-down effect on your postural integrity, pulling your body out of balance and leaving you stiff and sore. So what is the solution?

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we use chiropractic modalities such as spinal adjustment and mobilization to restore range of motion, increase circulation and reduce back pain. From here we can start on a program that focuses on stretching and elongating tight postural muscles, while strengthening weak phasic muscles to lend another layer of support and strength to the core. The outcome is a more stable situation that facilitates the maintenance of good posture at all points of the day. If you are interested in improving your postural health, give our office in Sacramento a call to schedule an appointment today. 

The post An Essential Imbalance in Core Strength: Postural versus Phasic Muscles appeared first on Espinosa Family Chiropractic.

Take stock of your posture right now

The most common poses when working are: sitting and standing. Chances are you could benefit from a quick posture adjustment. It goes like this: 

• Sit up straight and look straight ahead with your head balanced atop your spine. 
• Move your butt to the back of your chair.
• Pull your navel in toward your spine and up toward your ribs.
• Roll your shoulders back and down
• Drop your tailbone down toward the floor. 
• Make sure you feel as though there is a straight line between your head and tailbone.

Chances are this position feels awkward- it may even hurt a bit. That is your muscles adjusting to the position they are supposed to be able to hold. Let the shame sink into those muscles and take a moment to realize that this is what good posture looks like. We need to make this the norm- but how?

It starts by establishing good postural awareness

You won’t be able to hold this position for long, at least at first. Your shoulders will start to creep up and forward, you will begin to lean in toward your computer and all your good work will be undone. But as soon as you catch yourself doing this, correct! Reset to the position established above. This is called postural awareness and simply performing that tucking of the tummy and relaxing of the shoulders begins to train and condition your muscles to maintain a more appropriate posture. 

Making good posture easier with the help of Espinosa Family Chiropractic

At our office in Sacramento, we go further by maintaining the muscles and structures that matter for keeping you upright. We focus on stretching and elongating the overly tight postural muscles, and strengthening the overly-weak and under-used phasic muscles that can add stability into your postural life. If you are interested in changing your postural health for the better, give our office in Sacramento a call to schedule an appointment today. 

The post Posture Reset: Sit Better Right Now appeared first on Espinosa Family Chiropractic.

Why does my back hurt? And what can I do about it? 

Factors that contribute to back pain include:

• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Posture and excessive sitting
• Mental Stress
• Acute Injury
• Repetitive trauma

Obviously, limiting your spine to the exposure of any of these malefactors is an important way to keep your spine in a state of health. But there is one thing you can focus on more than any other if you are interested in keeping your back pain-free late into life. 

The single greatest thing you can do for your back? Focus on core strength

Why? Because these are the muscles that support your spine. The bulk of your body weight falls upon the vertebrae of the lower back. Any extra support you can give them is going to be an immense advantage. Some of the best exercises for core strength are included in Yoga and Pilates, making both of these areas of exercise a great place to begin. Cardiovascular health comes in at a close second in the running of best things you can do for your back, as strong cardiovascular health maintains blood circulation to the tissues in the back. 

Let us help you maintain the integrity and longevity of your spine 

Chiropractic care is to your body what a regular tune up is to your car. The more attention your spine receives, the longer its working parts stay working. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we firmly believe that the key to a long, independent life is maintaining the integrity of your spine. We would like to help you do that by offering you all services we have at our disposal. If you are interested in limiting back pain and feeling your best, give our office in Sacramento a call to schedule an appointment today. 

The post The Single Greatest Thing you can Do for your Back appeared first on Espinosa Family Chiropractic.