Small Changes, Big Differences:

Preventing Injury And Chronic Pain in Everyday Life

Francesca Biasucci, MPT

Common Pain Syndromes• low back pain• neck pain• headaches and migraine• upper back pain• sciatica• shoulder/shoulder blade

pain

Chronic Pain Causes

Traumatic Injury

car accidentsports injuryfall

Chronic Pain CausesCongenital

Conditions

scoliosisleg length

differencebony anomalies

Chronic Pain Causes

Repetitive Strain Injury

sportsworkhome/childcare

Poor Body Mechanics

liftingbending

twistingkneeling

rising

Chronic Pain Causes

Chronic Pain Causes

Poor Posture

standing sitting walking

Traumatic injuryCongenital conditionsRepetitive strain injuryPoor body mechanicsPoor posture

Review: Chronic Pain

Which can you control?

Congenital conditions

Poor body mechanicsPoor posture

Repetitive strain injury

Traumatic injury

Poor Posture :What’s the Problem?

Headaches & neck pain

Upper back and shoulder pain

Low back pain

Degenerative bony changes

Degenerative soft tissue changes:discs, muscles, fascia, tendons, etc.

Today’s example: Head and Neck Position

Forward Head Posture

Consequences

Adaptive muscle shortening of suboccipitals

Adaptive muscle lengthening of interior neck muscles

Compensatory shifts in alignment below the neck: upper back, low back, pelvis

Compressed vertebrae and intervertebral discs

Compressed nerve roots affecting neck and arms/hands

Muscle pain, referred pain and over time, chronic pain in head, face, neck and shoulders

Respiratory effects

desk work

driving

watching t.v./reading

walking

listening to a lecture

Who, Me?

What Can We Do About It?Develop “postural awareness”

Learn postural corrections

Practice, practice, practice!

Postural Awareness

Body Check:

Check your head and neck posture periodically throughout the day.

Repeated often, the body check will become second nature.

Learn Postural Corrections

Learn how to correct what you find in your Body Check

Do this 1000X/day...

Corrected posture becomes the new normal over time

Awareness:What Am I Looking For?

Head & Neck Posture:

1. Where is my ear?

2. Where is my face pointed?

Where is my ear?

Correct alignment

Where is my face pointing?

The sunflower concept

Where Should It Be Pointing?

CorrectionChin Tuck

Practice:Car seat headrest Up against a wall Pushing towel roll into floor (lying down)

Chin Tuck: Why?• realigns cervical spine to more

efficient position• stretches shortened front and back

of neck muscles• strengthens weak and stretched

interior neck muscles• relieves pressure on nerve roots

Breathing Effects

The Breathing Experiment

Francesca Biasucci, MPT

The Madison Challenge Seminar SeriesFebruary 2009