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Show To Your Health Straighten up and save your back By DR. MORGAN CARLSON Whenever I see older people bent over with twisted backs, I feel sorry what a waste. If only they'd started earlier to correct the problem, it wouldn't be such a burden bur-den to them now. Then the big question is, how early did this problem begin? What could have started it? Is there anything any-thing they could have done to prevent pre-vent it and is there anything now that can be done to help? Many of us are born with spinal problems. Indeed, many spinal problems are inherited from our parents. I'm surprised at the number num-ber of patients I've had that say "Yes, my mother or father had the same complaints I've got." Many times it's not a deformed back we're born with, but we inherit lifestyle habits. The way we stand, sit, watch T.V., or study, day in and day out has a tremendous impact im-pact on how the spine grows. There's a saying, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree." So the answer to the second question is, even though accidents can be the beginning of future problems, prob-lems, the majority of the problems I see are the every day posture habits that our bodies are slowly adapting to. How many times have you said to yourself, if only I knew then what I know now? An ounce of prevention is truly worth a 'pound of cure' and the time to stay healthy heal-thy is today. If that older person with the humped back would have only performed a simply push up, leaving the belly on the floor and extending the back, they wouldn't have their back deformity. Become aware of postural stresses stres-ses and learn simple exercises in just minutes a day. Becoming aware of such stresses can change your life. Four simple home checks can alert you to possible problems. 1. When a person stands, both shoulders should be level. 2. When a person stands, the skirt hem and pant legs should be level. 3. When a person stands, look at them from the side. An imaginary line can be drawn straight down from the ear, passing through the mid-shoulder, the mid-pelvis, the mid-knee, and through the middle of the outside ankle bone. 4. One shoe shouldn't wear out before the other, especially if the war is centered on the edge of the shoe. Once problem posture is formed, change is tough to make but very necessary. Poor posture left unattended un-attended will only get worse. While tissue is alive, it will change. Let's start the right change today. |