Stretch goals at the office

Stretching is the process of putting particular parts of the body into a position that will lengthen or elongate the muscles and associated tissues. The Healthy Back Store recognizes the importance of stretching as it relates to one’s health and fitness, especially in our increasingly sedentary lives. Sitting at a desk and in front of computer monitors for long hours each day can affect one’s health and has a serious impact on the body’s flexibility, even for individuals who exercise regularly.

By undertaking a regular stretching regimen a number of changes begin to occur within the body and specifically within the muscles themselves. A regular stretching routine can produce the following benefits:

• Reduced muscle tension (stress relief)
• Increased range of movement in the joints
• Enhanced muscular coordination
• Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
• Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)

There are a number of stretches that you can do while at your desk including:

• Touch the Sky: Reach your arms up to the sky and as far back as you can safely go. You can try grasping like you’re trying to reach the stars.
• Side Stretch: While standing, reach your one arm over head and to the opposite side. You can keep the other hand on your hip or in the air.
• Touch Your Toes: Take off your shoes if you can. Wiggle your toes. Bend at the hip and reach for your toes. Bending your knees is OK.
• Shoulder Opener: Lean your palms against the wall above your head and bending at the hip to stretch out your shoulders and back.

While stretching can be done at the desk, the Healthy Back Store also suggests incorporating ergonomic furniture or accessories into the office to help alleviate many of the pains associated with sitting all day. At the Healthy Back Store you’ll find executive chairs with built in lumbar support to maintain proper spinal alignment and task chairs with recline action, contoured cushions, responsive backrests. These chairs provide ergonomic support while promoting movement, allowing you to stretch comfortably. Even something as small as a footrest reminds you to sit all the way back in your chair, allowing the chair to take some of the strain and stress off of your back.

Men Can Get Osteoporosis Too

by Bobby Bennett

Most people don't think that men develop osteoporosis. This disease, in which bone becomes thin and fragile and can fracture easily, is mostly associated with women. Doctors don't often discuss the issue with their male patients. But men can get the hip and other bone fractures that come with osteoporosis, too, and it's no less painful or debilitating for them than it is for women.

Men are usually diagnosed with osteoporosis only when they have fractured a bone. Men don't generally experience the rapid bone loss in their 50's that women do, but by age 65 or 70, they are losing bone mass at the same rate as women. Hip fractures occur at older ages in men, which might explain why men who break a hip are more likely to die of complications than women. More than half of all men who suffer a hip fracture go from the hospital to a nursing home, and 79 percent of those who survive for one year still live in nursing homes or intermediate care facilities.

Scientists are trying to learn more about the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and its related fractures in men as well as in women. In 1999, NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and two other NIH components, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), launched a seven-year study that is following 5,700 men, age 65 or older. "Mr. OS," as it is called, aims to determine the extent to which the risk of fractures in men is related to bone mass and other factors such as their bone structure, lifestyle and tendency to fall.

In the NCI component of "Mr. OS," scientists are trying to answer the question of whether having a high bone mass is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. In women, if you have a high bone mass, you have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Both types of cancers are thought to be associated with your whole lifetime exposure to the sex hormones your own body makes.

NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is also supporting a part of "Mr. OS" that is looking at the role of sleep in the health of older men.

Men are more likely than women to have a high risk of fracture due to secondary causes, like a specific disease (such as celiac disease, in which a person's intolerance to a protein found in wheat and other grains interferes with their intestinal absorption of calcium) or taking medications that can affect bone mass (like the steroids used to treat asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases). Knowledge of the diseases and conditions that can affect bone mass can help to prevent men as well as women from reaching the point of fracture before diagnosis.

Getting enough calcium is very important for preventing osteoporosis. Adults 19 - 50 years old need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium every day; those over 50 need 1,200 mg. The best way to get enough calcium is through your diet. Buy fortified orange juice and cereals, and eat lots of green leafy vegetables and low-fat dairy products like cheese, milk, ice cream and yogurt.

You should also get enough vitamin D. If you spend 15 minutes outside in the sun each day, your body should make enough on its own. If you have limited sun exposure, scientists currently recommend 200 to 400 international units (IU) if you are under age 70 and 600 if you are over.

It's also important to do regular weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis, weight training and dancing. These exercises may strengthen your bones and may also help with your balance. That will reduce your risk of falling and thus reduce your chances of breaking a bone.

If you already have osteoporosis, doctors are prescribing most of the same medications that they are giving to women. Alendronate (brand name Fosamax) and risedronate (brand name Actonel) both now come in a once-a-week pill. But they can cause problems with your stomach or esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth with the stomach) if not taken exactly as directed. The Food and Drug Administration has approved teriparatide (brand name Forteo) only for those who are at high risk of fracture; the drug must be injected daily for no longer than two years. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your options.

When should I replace my mattress?

The easiest way to know whether it is time to replace your mattress is to ask yourself how you slept last night. Although the Better Sleep Council recommends you replace your mattress every five to seven years, many people sleep on a mattress that isn't worn out but that should be replaced because it doesn't fit them correctly.

There are several reasons why a mattress might not fit you correctly anymore. The most important is the mattress doesn't provide proper support for the body's spinal alignment which causes you to wake up with discomfort, pain, or the need to wake and stretch out kinks and stiffness. Secondly, the mattress doesn't have the right type or number of pressure relief layers on top of the support layer which can create pressure points causing you to toss and turn, interrupting sleep and leaving you feeling un-refreshed in the morning.

Dealing with chronic pain

A large number of people in the United States suffer from chronic pain, pain that just won't go away. Chronic back and neck pain will last beyond the expected healing time and often interfere with daily life. Whatever the cause of chronic pain, feelings of frustration, anger and fear can make it more intense. Aside from physical treatments, there are a number of psychological methods of paint management, such as relaxation, biofeedback, and imagery that may provide relief and should be discussed with your health care professional.

Relaxation is one of the simplest, but rarely followed, methods of relieving bodily pain. Concentration and slow, deep breathing can release tension from muscles and relieve pain. The Healthy Back Store offers a wide selection of relaxation products including our massage chair inventory featuring brands like Inada and Human Touch. These highly sought after personal massage chairs can be assigned to target the parts of your body that need the most attention, while sending your entire body into a state of pure relaxation.

Other techniques like biofeedback can be taught by a health care professional who uses special machines to help you learn to control your mind and body, such as heart rate and muscle tension. As you begin to release muscle tension, the machine immediately indicates appropriately. Once the technique is mastered, it can be practiced without the use of the machine and help of the professional.

Muscle tension is more commonly relieved using inversion tables and inversion therapy. By using an inversion table, available at the Healthy Back Store, for just five minutes a day, you will align your body with the downward force of gravity, which will increase the space between your vertebrae, relieving pressure on the areas in your back that are in pain such as the discs, ligaments, and nerve roots.

There are also a number of distraction techniques that will help you focus your attention away from the pain and towards more pleasant subjects. This can be as simple as watching television, reading a book, or listening to music, but can also be practiced through imagery or hypnosis. Imagery involves concentrating on mental pictures of pleasant scenes or events to reduce pain. Hypnosis can be practiced through the use of a therapist or by learning the methods of self-hypnosis which can be utilized when pain interrupts.

Individual, group, or family therapy may be useful for those whose pain has not responded to physical methods. People who suffer from chronic pain often experience emotional stress and depression. Therapy can help you cope with these feelings, making it easier to manage your pain.

All these psychological methods of pain-relief are an excellent complimentary tool to physical Healthy Back products. Be sure to take a look at our selection of back- and neck-care products to find the perfect option for you.

What is Sciatica?

Image via WikipediaSciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg and the sole of your foot. When you have sciatica, you have pain, weakness, numbness or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes. It's usually on only one side of your body.

Sciatica may be due to a ruptured intervertebral disk, narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerve called spinal stenosis, or an injury such as a pelvic fracture. In many cases no cause can be found.

Sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Treatment, if needed, depends on the cause of the problem. It may include exercises, medicines, and surgery.