Unsure On Where To Start The Road To Improvement?
Fortunately, there are multiple different medical, health, and fitness practitioners that are educated, certified and/or licensed to help provide treatment and guidelines to improve your quality of life associated with poor posture and back pain.
Certified Personal Trainers, especially those who choose to specialize in corrective exercise, are specially trained to identify unbalanced muscle groups and assess your movement patterns and posture. They will be able to provide and guide you through a plan of workouts and stretching to improve strength and stability in certain areas associated with postural imbalances. They will also be able to provide exercises and stretching to do at home. According to a research study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science (2015), Stretching and core stability exercises have beneficial effects on muscle relaxation and spinal alignment and can help prevent pain associated with the lower back.
Licensed Massage Therapists, (or Medical Massage Therapists) are trained in more advanced techniques than their spa counterparts. These techniques are much more therapeutic in releasing tight muscles from overuse and improving range of motion. An example of these techniques include Soft Tissue Release, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, and more. Massage Therapists will also incorporate assisted stretching with their treatments.
Chiropractors treat patients with health problems of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which include nerves, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons (Occupational Outlook Handbook 2020). They focus on the entire body and emphasize proper spinal alignment. A well rounded modern chiropractor will use a combination of spinal manipulation, soft tissue work, assisted stretching, and modalities or tools to improve spinal motion and any muscle groups associated to the kinetic chain of the spine. Chiropractors may also recommend exercise and nutrition guidelines. Chiropractic treatments are non surgical.
Physical Therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education (APTA n.d.). A physical therapist will provide therapeutic exercise techniques, soft tissue work, stimulation, and recommend at home exercises. All of these techniques are intended to strengthen and/or stretch muscles as well as manage any pain associated with your body associated with injury, posture, or weakness.