The goal of our chiropractor and physical therapy treatment is to optimize the patients’ health by restoring the body to the anatomically neutral position.

What is Anatomical Neutral Position? It is depicted in the diagram we’ve all seen of the human frame standing erect that shows basic good posture. Anatomical neutral should not be interpreted as stiff

or static, but rather comfortable and healthy. It is anatomical neutral that the chiropractor, utilizing a chiropractic adjustment, is striving for.

Movement is Good!

Don’t get me wrong. When I refer to the anatomical neutral position as the least stressful position to be in, I don’t mean a static posture lacking movement. The movement is good!

Too much movement, however- that pulls you way out of anatomical neutral – can be stressful on your joints. Something we see at Root Cause Medical Clinic often. Holding a position for too long – even in an anatomically neutral position – can increase muscle tension leading to joint and muscle stress.

Imagine bending over the sink doing dishes or bending over in the garden. Imagine you’ve gone for a long bike ride with your back bent over the handlebars and your neck extended. That would be a good example of holding a position too long that wasn’t in anatomical neutral.

Fortunately the more physically fit you are the more stress your skeletal structure can safely take. If you are not physically fit or have a chronic joint or muscle problem, too much movement of the wrong kind can lead to injury.

Your Chiropractor Says “Stretch”!

If a repetitive activity or long-held postures are causing you pain, take breaks with movement or stretching to counter the stresses that can build up. We recommend simple stretches to most of our patients that they can do right at their work station to provide back pain relief and to reduce the stress that naturally builds up from inactivity or poor posture.

There are products that one can sit on that provide movement to the hips, pelvis, and torso, despite sitting in a chair. This loosens the joints and works the muscles gently which is much preferred over remaining still and tight for many hours a day.

What’s a Reverse Stretch?

Exercise balls can be used for a wide variety of effective exercises from core strengthening to back stretching. A slouched posture creates problems. If you are sitting at the computer or your desk for hours at a time, it is difficult to avoid slouching. Take a break on an exercise ball, and lie back on it – opening up the chest and arching the back in a complete reverse of the slouched position. This stretch is called a reverse stretch and it feels great. Don’t stay there too long and be careful about getting up!

Do You Want to Stand While Working?

Standing workstations are becoming more popular. This allows a greater variety of movement than being locked in a very still position in a chair. You still need to pay close attention to proper ergonomics of keyboard height and monitor height but it is a good change for some.

An Active Life Can Create Imbalances

Life should be well-lived and active. Sometimes that activity can result in accidents or falls or even micro-traumas from day to day activities and poor posture. Consider seeing our chiropractor for a spinal/postural examination. You may very well have developed structural imbalances that can be reduced or eliminated with a chiropractic adjustment.

Those who regularly receive chiropractic care can’t understand how so many people live without it. A gentle chiropractic adjustment puts motion into the joints that otherwise would get stiffer and stiffer, reducing the range of motion and speeding up the aging process.

How Does Trauma Age the Body?

When tissues of the body heal from trauma (this can be a macro-trauma of a fall, sports injury, auto accident, etc., or a micro-trauma of a minor sprain, strain, overstretching muscles in exercising, or prolonged postural stress), the resultant tissue is different from the original ‘healthy’ tissue. Just like scar tissue that you can see is different than normal healthy skin, tissue inside the body that has been stretched, torn, or bruised lays down different tissue as it repairs, and the new tissue is less elastic and denser than its predecessor.

Receiving a regular chiropractic adjustment is one very effective way to help keep the body loose and to minimize the tightening effects of the aging process.

Here at Root Cause Medical Clinic, we combine the best of physical therapy with chiropractic when treating joint and muscle complaints. While each separately can achieve wonderful results, together they are a fantastic combination of therapies that complement each other well, with results that can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. We are here to help and would be delighted to help you, your friends, and your family.