To Slouch or To Straighten... What's in Good Posture?

The problem with bad posture (trust me, there's more than one) is that the strain and stress of your muscles and joints when pulled the wrong way may eventually lead to compression of not only blood vessels but nerves as well. Patients who suffer from osteoporosis will tell you that prevention is much more preferable to the postural rectification needed years down the road, which will most likely accompanied by aches and pain.

If you would like to see how tall you stand, place your back to a wall, positioned with shoulders and head touching the wall behind you, if possible. Keep the palms of your hands facing forward in order to maintain anatomical alignment. If you find yourself unable to do so, then perhaps you should enlist the aid of either a friend to keep you accountable throughout the day or a mirror at your work station to act as visual feedback for how you're doing with posture.

Now that school is back in session for many, heavy bookbags will be the latest trend, which could not be more detrimental to your back than you realize! In order to avoid such misalignment, switch your bag from shoulder to shoulder frequently and if you carry a backpack, then try using it the right way or purchase a wheeled bag.

When working on your computer, for all those projects and papers due in the near future, do NOT keep your laptop in your lap. Rather, place it on a desk with the monitor about 6 inches below your gaze to keep the natural curve of your spine. Make sure your arms are close to your trunk and bent at 90 degrees. Speaking of 90 degrees, your torso should form a 90 degree angle with your thighs. And last but not least, take breaks. Doesn't sound so bad when you're studying, right? But checking email or twittering, harder to remember. Keep in mind, every 30 minutes you should stand up and stretch.

Finally, when sleeping in bed (my favorite time of day), avoid having too much cushion both in regards to pillow propping and mattress. Support should be just enough to maintain the inward curve of your neck and low back. Sleeping on your back, by the way, is the easiest way to relieve your body of strain in the AM. But don't forget a small pillow behind the knees to keep your back in neutral. And that's what it's all about. Keeping things neutral. Simple and symptom free.

Just a few facts to keep in mind for a healthier, more functional you.

Snap, Crackle, Pop...My ACL is torn. So now what?

A recent study published in the July issue of the New England Journal of Medicine questioned the benefits of immediate surgery following an ACL tear when compared to taking the less invasive route of physical rehabilitation.

Participants included 121 adults, ages 18-35, who were non-athletes. Half of the group opted for early surgery while in the remaining half of 59 patients, 36 did well with just the rehabilitation and 23 had surgery after almost 12 months of time. The results after 2 years of the incident found both groups did very well with no significant differentiation in pain and function from those who received immediate surgery versus those who chose to try therapy.

I am not saying that athletes beyond the age of growth plate exemption should never consider surgery, only pointing out the limitations of said patient's ability to return to sports is significantly increased when an operation on the ACL is performed in the acute stage of healing. The stiffness in the affected limb will only escalate with swelling, etc that follows surgery while the knee still did not yet have full motion and is now filled with blood.

Another concern to be addressed in light of knee injuries, which often results in a change of gait and subsequent shortening of some musculature due to substitutionary movements, is the close association with developing osteoarthritis or experiencing tears of the menisci. From the standpoint of a knee injury, osteoarthritis would develop most likely over the course of 15-20 years depending on the age and lifestyle of the patient. We must conclude then, 2 years is not a sufficient time frame when considering the long term effects of an injury.
However, physical therapy with or without surgery is beneficial for restoring strength in weak muscles and thereby reinstating stability, as well as the combination of modalities offered to help with inflammation and hands on treatment for improving mobility and function.

Physical therapy is often prescribed prior to surgery in preparation for what's to come and the subsequent knowledge provided by a therapist to a patient including ways to protect your knee from further damage or simply reassurance of sx on bad days can be invaluable.