Most people think that suffering through each day with neck, back, and other joint pain is just a fact of life. But it doesn't have to be that way. Author Jeff LaBianco, a doctor of physical therapy and certified strength and conditioning specialist, explains how simple tweaks in your posture can dramatically reduce pain caused by arthritis and other ailments. In this guidebook, you'll learn how to change your positioning to optimize your health; maintain good posture in the workplace; choose shoes that are comfortable; and design exercise protocols that promote good posture. The suggested exercises are easy to do and can be incorporated into your daily routine. By focusing on postural awareness at all times-when you are sitting, standing, walking, lying, and lifting-you can reduce stress and pain and improve your health. Discover key concepts in stretching, strengthening, and conditioning that can dramatically improve your quality of life. You can start Defying the Pains of Gravity.

Defying the PAINS of GRAVITY

USING PROPER POSTURE TECHNIQUEBy Jeff LaBianco

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Jeff LaBianco, DPT, CSCS
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-5713-6

Contents

Preface....................................................................................ixAcknowledgments............................................................................xiIntroduction: The Three Causes of Discomfort...............................................xiiiChapter One: The Essence of Proper Posture.................................................1Chapter Two: Proper Sitting and the Ergonomically Correct Work Station.....................12Chapter Three: Proper Standing Technique and Lying Postures................................28Chapter Four: Dynamic Movements: Walking, Bending, and Lifting.............................44Chapter Five: The Importance of Proper Footwear............................................53Chapter Six: Muscle Matters: Stretching and Strengthening..................................59Chapter Seven: Two-Step Stretch and Strengthening Protocols................................67Chapter Eight: When to Seek Professional Help..............................................96References.................................................................................99

Chapter One

The Essence of Proper Posture

Posture. The dreaded P word. Brings back memories doesn't it? "Put your shoulders back," your mother would insist as you slumped in your chair as a child. "Stand up straight," your teacher would whisper while you pledged allegiance to the flag. Well, believe it or not, they had a point. Posture is important! Maintaining proper posture helps prevent aches, pains, arthritis, degenerative changes, and even neurological dysfunctions.

The reason why many individuals have so much difficulty keeping themselves in the correct position is related to a simple rule of physics. There is a force constantly pulling down on us—a force commonly known as gravity. So why wouldn't we slump down? It's easier than sitting up straight. We're designed to adapt to our surroundings, and because of this we take the path of least resistance, unconsciously allowing ourselves to slouch and fall into typical poor posture. The problem is that, when poor posture is sustained day in and day out, some of our tissue structures—including ligaments, tendons, and muscles—become weak and lengthened while others become weak and shortened. This unbalanced push-pull effect will eventually cause degenerative changes within our joints because our tissue structures will become unable to absorb the same amount of force they normally do when they are at their proper length.

The Key Players in Joint Protection

Cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and muscles naturally act as shock absorbers in our bodies. They help prevent damage to the bone structure of our joints as we locomote.

Our bodies contain two main types of cartilage. Hyaline cartilage surrounds every joint in our limbs. It is present at each end of our bones so that when bones connect to form a joint, they are able to glide over each other just as easily as a piece of ice sliding over a frozen pond. Thick, dense fibrocartilage is located between the vertebrae of the spine. This type of cartilage is responsible for preventing impact and allowing mobility throughout the spine.

Ligaments are short bands of tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connect bone to bone. I like to refer to them as joint connectors. They aid in the stabilization and shock absorption of the joint. Tendons, which connect muscles to bones, are flexible but inelastic cords made up of strong fibrous collagen tissue. Each muscle contains one tendon on each end, and each tendon connects the muscle to small attachments on a bone. Most muscles in the body cross at least one joint, allowing us to move our trunk and limbs once the muscle is contracted.

These tissue structures are located around each joint and have a similar job as the shocks on a bike.

A good bike will have strong shocks that are able to absorb pounding forces as the rider bounces along the rough pavement. The shocks will attenuate the forces produced from the ground up, preventing damage to the bike frame and unwanted vibration. The tissues that surround your joints play the same shock-absorption role for your body.

Understanding Arthritis

Strong, well-positioned muscles will lead to optimal shock absorption. Muscles that are poorly positioned due to improper posture will be unable to absorb shock at their optimal capacity. This is detrimental to bone and joint health. Even though the cartilage is still able to perform its duty, putting the muscle at a mechanical disadvantage will place extra force onto the ligaments and onto the joints, leading to joint breakdown—in other words, arthritis.

Yes, the infamous arthritis! Have you ever wondered what arthritis really is? Well, before going any further, I need to clarify what type of arthritis I am talking about. The arthritis I discuss in this book is osteoarthritis, which is nothing more than joint degeneration. (This is not to be confused with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease in which one's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells.)

That's right—arthritis is not some magical disease we must be confused about any longer. Arthritis is only found within joints. With the breakdown of hyaline cartilage, you don't have that smooth ice-on-ice texture within the joint that I described above. With arthritis, the bones that form the joint rub onto each other and cause degeneration. One thing to remember is that arthritis is a normal physiological process and we all get this wear and tear within our joints. Problems arise, however, when there is too much arthritis in the joint, resulting in discomfort and restricted motion. Having proper posture and knowing how to strengthen and stretch muscles through their full ranges of motion will help slow down the process of the inevitable arthritis.

The Cumulative Injury Cycle

I picked a box up from the floor and pulled my back. The box wasn't even heavy. Why does it hurt so much? This is a typical question I hear in the outpatient clinic. It's amazing how easily people hurt themselves. I have had patients (even some who work out at the gym at least three days a week) come in complaining of "stupid injuries" like pulling their backs after bending down to tie their shoes. So what's going on? Is it that people should be working out more than three times per week? Not necessarily. It is not that people are weak; the issue is that they have muscle imbalances. Their strength is in the wrong places, and they have set themselves up for muscle strain through prolonged insufficient positioning. The concept of pattern overload explains the problems with poorly positioned tissue structures in a little more detail.

Pattern overload arises when someone repeats the same pattern of motion over and over (whether actively or by remaining in a position for a prolonged period), which leads to overuse stress on the body. This concept will teach you how one's poor posture can cause internal physical problems.

Let's take the example of picking an object up from the ground. A common action that gets people in trouble is using their backs instead of their lower bodies while bending forward. The length of your muscles will determine how efficiently you will perform the motion. If your back muscles become stretched and stressed, your...