Need a Back Straightener?
A back straightener is what you need if you’re having trouble maintaining your posture. Back straightening becomes a bigger concern when you think about how your posture can affect how you feel throughout the day, how you look and even how you think. The proof, they say is in the pudding: walk in completely upright, shoulders back and down, head held high and people will ask if you have lost weight or if you have recently come back from vacation. People will be so convinced that you have done something for your health that they will ask your secret.
There are a number of ways to accomplish a straighter back. The easiest and most cost effective is by practicing good posture whenever possible. It is true what your mother said, you make your back healthy and happy when you stand or sit as straight as possible. But, there are some health conditions which makes trying to keep the back straight a little difficult to accomplish. To help you out a little bit, there are back braces which can be as simple as just a band that goes around your waist, reminding you to stand straight to more complex items that fit like a vest and pull your upper back and shoulders back.
Some of these garments are purchased in retail stores or at local medical supply stores while others are prescribed by doctors. There are times when these types of items are part of an overall rehabilitation process, especially after a back surgery.
Another great option is yoga. Part of this age old practice is the focus on good alignment as well as breathing. It makes you more aware of your own posture and your own body and can be a great way to help you. In addition to body awareness, yoga also helps you to strengthen and elongate muscles that can help your posture. Some of these muscles include your ham strings (the muscle that runs down the back of your leg) and your back muscles.
For those who like a gadget, there are inversion tables that not only relax your body but can also help to strengthen and tone the muscles of the back and the abdominal area, otherwise known as the core. There are other machines that you can use, of course but these tables can be very popular.
No matter what you decide to try to use, any deviation in the spine, especially if it is accompanied by pain or tingling and numbness in the legs, hands or other problems, should be evaluated by a doctor. A minor spinal problem now can change into something more serious if it is left alone. But, once you get your doctor’s okay, using a back straightener can give you the upright back and good posture that you have always wanted.
