Hamstrings are one of the most important grouping of muscles within the body. They help to prolong the body’s stability, balance, and long term mobility. When the hamstrings are tight, they can pull the lower back out of alignment, which can then lead to back pain. Located just above the Hamstrings is the Piriformis muscle, positioned immediately adjacent to the sciatic nerve (a thick nerve running from the base of the spine, along the glute muscles and down the back of the legs). The Piriformis’s job is to laterally rotate the femur with hip extension and abduct the femur with hip flexion. For example, In the action of walking, the abduction of the flexed thigh is important because it shifts the body’s weight to the opposite side of the foot being lifted, which keeps us from falling.
As you can see… these are an important set of muscles! They help to guide, balance and protect the body. Long story short… we owe it to our bodies to stretch these muscles out for at least 15 minutes per day.
How does one do that? Well luckily our Beverly Hills Posture, certified yoga therapist- Wendy Obstler, has taken a time-out from her busy schedule to demonstrate a few gentle hip and hamstring stretches. Each of these stretches aids in opening up the piriformis muscle and the top of the hamstrings, to help relieve pain that might be associated with sciatica or Piriformis Syndrome.
Throughout these stretches, we ask you to: be sure to breath, listen to your body and perform the stretches at your own comfortable pace. Here’s to a happy Piriformis and a happy and healthy spine!
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Stretch 1:
Stretch 2: (utilizes a band, yoga strap, or towel that you can hook around your leg or foot)
Stretch 3:
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
To most people, “good posture” simply means sitting and standing up straight. According to Beverly Hills Chiropractor and founder of Beverly Hills Posture, Walker Ozar, D.C., most people just do not realize the importance of posture to our health and performance.
The human body craves alignment. When we’re properly aligned, our bones, not our muscles, support our weight, reducing effort and strain. The big payoff with proper posture is that we feel healthier, have more energy, and move gracefully. So while the word “posture” may conjure up images of book-balancing charm-school girls, it is not just about standing up straight. It’s about being aware of and connected to every part of your being.
Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting proper rest and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue. Without good posture, you cannot really be physically fit. Without good posture, you can actually damage your spine every time you exercise.
Ideally, our bones stack up one upon the other: the head rests directly on top of the spine, which sits directly over the pelvis, which sits directly over the knees and ankles. But if you spend hours every day sitting in a chair, if you hunch forward or balance your weight primarily on one leg, the muscles of your neck and back have to carry the weight of the body rather than it being supported by the spine. The resulting tension and joint pressure can affect you not only physically, but emotionally, too — from the predictable shoulder and back pain to headaches, short attention span, and depression.
Poor posture distorts the alignment of bones, chronically tenses muscles, and contributes to stressful conditions such as loss of vital lung capacity, increased fatigue, reduced blood and oxygen to the brain, limited range of motion, stiffness of joints, pain syndromes, reduced mental alertness, and decreased productivity at work. According to Nobel Laureate Dr. Roger Sperry, “the more mechanically distorted a person is the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism and healing.”
The most immediate problem with poor posture is that it creates a lot of chronic muscle tension as the weight of the head and upper body must be supported by the muscles instead of the bones. This effect becomes more pronounced the further your posture deviates from your body’s center of balance.
To illustrate this idea further, think about carrying a briefcase. If you had to carry a briefcase with your arms outstretched in front of you, it would not take long before the muscles of your shoulders would be completely exhausted. This is because carrying the briefcase far away from your center of balance places undue stress on your shoulder muscles. If you held the same briefcase down at your side, your muscles would not fatigue as quickly, because the briefcase is closer to your center of balance and therefore the weight is supported by the bones of the skeleton, rather than the muscles.
In some parts of the world, women can carry big pots full of water from distant water sources back to their homes. They are able to carry these heavy pots a long distance without significant effort because they balance them on the top of their heads, thereby carrying them at their center of balance and allowing the strength of their skeleton to bear the weight, rather than their muscles.
Correcting bad posture and the physical problems that result can be accomplished in two ways. The first is by eliminating as much “bad” stress from your body as possible. Bad stress includes all the factors, habits, or stressors that cause your body to deviate from your structural center. Bad stress can result from a poorly adjusted workstation at work, from not having your seat adjusted correctly in your car, or even from carrying too much weight around in a heavy purse or backpack.
The second is by applying “good” stress on the body in an effort to move your posture back toward your center of balance. This is accomplished through a series of exercises, stretches, adjustments, and changes to your physical environment, all designed to help correct your posture. Getting your body back to its center of balance by improving your posture is critically important to improving how you feel.
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
Chiropractor, Walker Ozar and his Beverly Hills Posture team serves the Beverly Hills, California area and the surrounding communities. A Beverly Hills Posture health and fitness plan starts at the root causes of poor health—from poor posture, fitness and weight issues, ergonomics at home and in the office, to musculoskeletal issues and more—then tailored to include the fitness and therapy programs that are necessary to achieve desired short and long-term results.
As most people know, chiropractors practice natural, drugless, non-invasive health care and rely on the body’s ability to self-heal. Sounds ideal, but just how does it work?
Chiropractors look at the whole picture
Like other health-care providers, we follow a standard routine to gain information about the patient. Chiropractors consult, review the case history, conduct a physical examination, and may request laboratory analyses and/or x-rays. Unlike other health-care providers, however, chiropractors also conduct a careful analysis of a patient’s structure and pay particular attention to the spine. Chiropractors also ask you about your life: Do you eat well? Exercise at all? How do you deal with stress? Do you have children? What do you do for work? And so on.
Chiropractors seek the origin of the problem
Using this information, a diagnosis is made. Included in the diagnosis is the probable reason for your pain or discomfort. It is important to note that chiropractors seek the origin of the illness in order to eliminate it-we do not simply treat the symptoms. If your roof is leaking, do you simply catch the drips in a bucket for years on end, or do you repair the roof to prevent it from leaking? Similarly, if the migraine headache you’ve had all week is being caused by misaligned vertebra and an irritated nerve, do you continue to take pain killers indefinitely, or do you realign the vertebra to prevent the pain? You get the picture.
Chiropractors fix the origin of the problem
Chiropractors have a term for misalignments: subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that protect the spinal cord. It’s a leak in the roof. Or a kink in the wiring of your nervous system. The severity of the subluxation can vary, and there are a number of potential contributing factors that can be physical, emotional, mental, or chemical. The subluxation can be caused by any number of incidents, from birth trauma to an auto accident to simple repetition or over-use.
Take Your First Step to Better Health. ContactBeverly Hills Posture today to explore how we can support you. With better posture and strengthened muscles, you’ll gain more energy, experience pain relief, and improve flexibility and overall health.
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
Shoulder pain can have a number of different causes, ranging from an injury like a car accident, to a chronic problem like arthritis. Patients who experience shoulder pain may be surprised by the intensity and duration of the pain. The shoulder area is so essential for completing daily activities that it makes sense that the shoulder pain injury should be taken seriously and treated to avoid worsening your condition.
Symptoms
Some signs that shoulder pain needs immediate attention may include a decreased ability to hold objects, decreased functioning of the arm, shoulder pain that persists even while at rest, shoulder pain that lasts more than a day or two, and unusual twinges or aches in the shoulder area.
Diagnosis
Chiropractic care can be an extremely effective treatment for shoulder pain regardless of its cause. A chiropractor will often begin with an examination of the patient’s neck area since shoulder pain can frequently be the result of “referred” pain from the neck. Whether the shoulder pain is connected to the neck or is limited to the lower part of the shoulder, it can generally be treated with non-invasive methods of natural healing such as chiropractic care.
Treatment
Care for an injured shoulder may include application of heat, application of ice packs, gentle manipulation to help the shoulder return to its original state of functionality, and gentle stretching and strengthening exercises that the patient can perform at home.
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel – we’ll be offering a variety of exercise tips that can help you mitigate shoulder pain in the near future.
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
Research suggests that the amount and quality of sleep we achieve has profound effects on wellness. Nightly sleep is critical for the restoration of health.
Sleep expert and President of the American Sleep Research Institute Lynn Larson explains that the link between sleep and decreased longevity is due to the immediate effect lack of sleep has on human performance. Missing sleep leads to poor decision-making and affects everything we do: rushing when we should be methodical, forgetting important procedures, loss of attention (such as when driving), not having the energy to exercise, poorer reaction time, higher stress levels, elevated blood pressure, and inability to adapt to change. These things lead to accidents in the short-term, and poor health in the long-term.
Research at ASRI suggests that the amount and quality of sleep we achieve has profound effects on wellness. Nightly sleep is critical for proper function of: the brain, immune system, endocrine system, digestion, as well as for energy, recovery from injury, and restoration of health. The lifestyle changes explained throughout this website are all intertwined with sleep. Sleep gives us the energy, the will, and the foundation to accomplish these changes.
Approximately 100 million Americans struggle with difficulty sleeping. If you have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, there are some “tricks” to improve the situation. To some extent, insomnia can be like the old expression about fear: there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Sometimes, just the fear of not being able to sleep causes enough stress to keep us awake. Don’t worry, these guidelines should help.
Sleep is like a good meal. It must be at the correct time and well anticipated; it helps to be hungry, the food should look, taste and smell good; your surroundings should be pleasing; and you should have plenty of stress free time to enjoy it. Make your bedroom as inviting as that meal and you will sleep better.
Don’t look at the clock. Studies have shown that looking at the clock during the night increases insomnia. You will sleep more if you ignore the clock when you wake up during the night.
Leave work at the office and don’t take it to bed with you.
If you wake during the night – do not think! Mental distraction is the name of the game. Try counting backwards from 100. The first times that you try this technique you might count from 100 two or more times. It’s OK. Eventually you will fall to sleep at about 95. You are training yourself to stop thinking about problems and to fall to sleep instead. It will take time to learn this good habit.
No caffeine after dinner. The half-life of caffeine is about four hours.
Alcohol makes you doze off quickly, but after it metabolizes it will interrupt sleep later in the night.
Get ready to revamp your sleep habit this weekend… have a restful Labor Day Weekend!
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
Chronic back pain is one of the most common physical ailments and one of the most complicated to pinpoint the cause. Given the amount of abuse we often subject our bodies to, it is no surprise that chronic back pain is such a huge problem.
From overzealous weekend warriors to sitting for hours on end with poor posture, we are constantly putting stress on our backs leading to an epidemic of chronic back pain.
Given the complexity of the back and the myriad reasons why we might be experiencing back pain, figuring out the root causes is difficult. Deciding the best course of action is even more mystifying to many of us. What is clear is that in order to relieve back pain in the long term, you need to figure out what is causing your discomfort.
Chiropractic care, acupuncture and therapeutic massage are great options to greatly reduce or eliminate back pain within a visit or two. Our physical therapy and fitness team members plan an important role in assisting people with implementing an exercise regimen that will get the body back into alignment and balance so that the back stays healthy and pain-free.
The potential causes of back pain are too many and too varied to attempt to discuss them all. This article will focus on one of the major causes of back pain. It seems simple, but in fact can be rather complicated:
IT JUST MIGHT BE YOUR SHOES
Sounds simple. But when you consider the interplay of your feet, legs, hips and back when you walk, it becomes obvious that there are plenty of ways this process can go wrong. Over time, any imbalance in your gait can begin to reflect in chronic back pain. Your shoes have a direct impact on your feet and play a role in how well your stride is balanced, or not.
We all know the obvious culprit when the discussion is uncomfortable footwear. High heels are generally murder on our feet, gait and posture. The reality is however, there are a number of different types of shoes that can and do create chronic back pain.
Let’s take a look at a few potential problem shoe choices:
High Heels
These types of shoes are the epitome of the wrong ones to wear. But let’s make sure we understand the definition of a “high heel.” Any heel over an inch high creates the problem mechanics of a high heel. So yes, stiletto heels are clearly a problem. Men’s dress shoes, cowboy boots and any other shoe with a heel an inch or more tall will tend to cause you to walk with an arched back and slightly bent knees. This shortens your calf muscles and makes your quadriceps work harder. It also puts up to 200% more pressure on your kneecaps. All that shifted muscle and joint strain has a direct impact on your spine and back.
So don’t be fooled into thinking that high heels have to be three inches high or only women’s shoes to be a root cause of back pain.
Flat Shoes (Flats)
So the obvious answer to not wearing high heels would be: “Flats” (right?)… oddly enough, you just might be wrong! In fact, tests show that flats produce up to 25% MORE impact pressure than high heels do. The cumulative effect of all of that pounding can have huge implications for your hips and back, leading directly to chronic back pain. Lack of padding and support can also have negative impact on your feet which causes further problems.
Sneakers (Tennis, Running, Athletic Shoes)
So we now know what shoes not to wear, what does that leave us with for options? Not surprisingly, shoes that provide support for your feet, are flexible and provide some padding to reduce impact are the best choice. While this perfectly describes what is generally referred to as “sneakers,” , they aren’t the only choices. Many shoe companies make a wide range of stylish shoes that fit the criteria.
About “Toning Shoes“(we all know the brand names, but we’ll refrain from mentioning any here)
These shoes are certainly not the answer. In fact, they’re designed to create instability in your gait, forcing your muscles to work harder. This concept was supposed to help the wearer tone up muscles which in turn would help the wearer lose weight. The problem is, “tone up” shoes do not and did not work; wearing them can lead to chronic back pain along with a laundry list of other problems. (Note: We would not recommend these types of shoes under any circumstances.)
Here are some things to think about when selecting the appropriate shoes:
Shoes with a low heel
Shoes that flex with your foot
Shoes with a contoured in sole to support your arch
Shoes that feel comfortable in the store
Shoes with at least a half-inch of wiggle room in the toe
Follow these simple guidelines (when buying/wearing shoes) and you’ll greatly reduce the chances of experiencing back pain as a result of what is on your feet!
If you currently experiencing back pain, we recommend that you give us a call to book an appointment. We can assist you by doing a full postural review to pinpoint the cause of your pain. We can also do a gait analysis and help you select the appropriate shoes based on how you naturally walk.
In addition to the proper footwear, the Beverly HIlls Posture Team can assist you with an exercise program that will strengthen your body, improve your posture and help you eliminate back pain in the long run.
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
The back is a complicated piece of equipment and the causes of back pain are many and varied. Fortunately, there are a number of solutions depending on how serious the cause of your pain is. As always, you should consult with a qualified professional to access your particular situation. Walker Ozar and the Fitness Team at Beverly Hills Posture can certainly assist you with any questions you might have.
The foam roller is one of the most effective tools you can use to help alleviate back pain caused by tension in the back structure. For those that are unfamiliar with foam rollers, they are exactly what they sound like. A foam roller is nothing more than a soft, cylindrical piece of foam. A very simple device, but the benefits far outweigh its simple design. Foam rollers have the added benefit of being inexpensive, easy to carry and can be used anywhere you can comfortably lie down.
Here are three simple ways you can use a foam roller to help alleviate back pain and support any work you are doing to strengthen this area of the body:
The Spine
The foam roller is often referred to as a “spine roller” due to its ability to help restore your spine to its normal shape.
Simply align the foam roller vertically along your spine and lie on it for five to ten minutes. Don’t move, just relax and breathe and let gravity and your body weight sink into the roller. This will help your spine return to its normal curvature. The closer your body is to its desired position, the less likely you are to experience pain due to misalignment.
Lats
The “Lats” (or Latissimus Dorsi) are the large muscles that form a “V” across your upper and mid back. They attach along the side of your body under your armpits.
Rolling your Lats can help you relieve tension or knots in these large back muscles and reduce back pain as a result. The movement is very easy to do and can be done in a short period of time. Roll onto one side, with your arm extended along the floor. Turn your arm so that your thumb is towards the ceiling. Straighten your legs and stack your hips and legs in a straight line. Place the roller under your armpit. Slowly roll the foam roller down your side, stopping to focus on knots as you feel them. When done, flip over and repeat on the opposite side. Each pass down your side should only take 45-60 seconds. Repeat on each side at least three times, or as often as it takes for you to feel the release of muscle tension.
Rhomboids
The Rhomboids are the muscles located in your upper back. This muscle group has a tendency to carry tension as a result of poor posture throughout your day. Foam rollers can help relieve this tension and thereby help alleviate back pain.
Lie on your back with the roller placed horizontally across the middle of your back. Bend your knees and lift your hips a couple of inches off the floor. Cross your arms on your chest and roll your shoulders slightly forward. Lift your head and shoulders and roll the foam roller slowly up your back to just below your neck. Stop and focus on any area that feels tender or knotted up. Hold that position for 30 seconds. Remember to relax and breathe. You can go up and down a few times as you find the tension in your Rhomboids. Getting the muscles to relax and release will help eliminate the unnatural tension that is often the cause of back pain.
Summary
These are just a few of the myriad of movements you can perform with a foam roller to help you relieve back pain. The great thing about a foam roller is that it has many uses for a wide range of body ailments, not just your back. It also is helpful in supporting your fitness program as your body changes and adapts to your workouts.
As with any exercise program, it is always advisable to get help from qualified professionals to get the maximum benefits in a safe manner. With proper instruction, foam rollers can be a very useful tool in your overall fitness and managing pain issues. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your fitness program, please give us a call or drop us a note—we will always be happy to assist you!
If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.
In Perfect Symmetry 