All posts by Margo Burette, DPT

Is Your Work Out Wearing You Down?

Margo Burette, DPT, Physical Therapist at Nick Rinard Physical TherapyThe American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days/week. In the pursuit of good health and fitness, many people are using YouTube to access new workouts. Unfortunately, there is neither quality control nor an accreditation process to ensure that the workouts are sound. Further complicating things is the “no pain, no gain” exercise myth which leads people to expect suffering with exercise. If someone expects exercising to be painful, they may not heed the early warning signs of pain and become injured.

Recently, I treated a young woman who developed severe lower back pain after exercising with a popular fitness program online. She continued to push herself through the routines but after 2 weeks she quit exercising entirely. She was frustrated because her efforts to improve her health had actually worsened her condition. Her back pain was interrupting her sleep and limiting her ability to concentrate at work.

After just 4 sessions at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy she was pain free and equipped with an effective, individualized exercise program that supported her fitness goals without compromising her If your workout is wearing you down, we can help you get on the right track! Don’t settle for suffering through your exercise routine when you could be thriving.

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The Power of Posture

ToyPoodle wearing Sunglasses Outdoor

What do a toy poodle and the human head have in common? They both share an average weight of 10-12 pounds. Your spine has three natural shock-absorbing curves which attenuate the stress of bearing that load above your shoulders while you move through your day. With good posture and frequent position changes, most of us can bear that weight without difficulty.

However, the moment you drop your chin to read the latest blog update on your cell phone the balance changes completely. When your head inclines forward 60 degrees the force your neck is bearing is equivalent to exchanging that toy poodle for a Labrador retriever – 60 pounds of force (Hansraj, 2014)! Consider that the average person sustains this position for 2-4 hours a day while using their smart phone and the load quickly becomes overwhelming. This chronic fatigue to the muscles and structure of the neck can lead to debilitating injury.

Your neck will thank you for contacting Nick Rinard Physical Therapy to address your posture.

Let us help you get that heavy Labrador off your shoulders!

Hansraj, KK. “Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head.” Surgical Technology International. 2014, November; 25:277-9

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