Postural Rehabilitation: Reduce Pain While Improving Performance

Back pain is not only frustrating, but it can also keep you from reaching your full sports performance potential. While many things can contribute to musculoskeletal aches and pains, poor posture is a contender for the top spot. 

A simple definition of posture is how you hold your body when sitting, standing, or lying down. “Good” and “bad” posture can sometimes be subjective since our bodies are all a little different, and what’s good or bad for someone else may not be for you. You also need different types of posture for different situations and activities, especially when it comes to sports. 

However, it’s important to understand that how you carry your body matters. Your body needs to be properly aligned to stay healthy and be ready for whatever you need it to do in your particular sport. 

A helpful tool for correcting any misalignments in your posture that could be causing pain or keeping you from performing well in your sport is McKenzie Therapy or The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MMDT). McKenzie Therapy refers to issues with posture that are causing long-term musculoskeletal issues and pain as postural syndrome.

Ryan Anderson, DC, Logan Reiff, DC, Michael Bhatt, DC, and the rest of our team at Pinnacle Sports Performance and Rehabilitation in Austin, Texas, understand the key role posture plays in everyday health. In this month’s blog, we discuss why recognizing posture issues is important and how we can help improve your posture awareness through McKenzie Therapy. 

Understanding postural syndrome

Chronic back pain affects up to 80% of adults. Dealing with constant back pain can take a huge toll on your mobility and quality of life. 

When it comes to back pain, it’s best to see a medical provider sooner rather than later, so they can determine the underlying cause and treat it effectively before it worsens. Treatments for back pain can vary depending on what’s causing it and if there’s been a lot of spine or muscle damage, but they can include medications, physical therapy, and surgical methods. 

An issue that can cause long-term damage to your spine and muscle tissues is poor posture. If you sustain poor posture for too long or even sit, stand, or lie down in any position for too long, it can start to wear on your body. 

With postural syndrome, back pain is directly caused by keeping certain postures for prolonged periods that overload your tissues. If your back pain stems from postural syndrome, it may go away when you change positions and is localized to your back. Postural syndrome doesn’t cause mobility issues or muscle weakness. 

Why it’s important to treat postural syndrome

Unfortunately, people may not always realize they have postural syndrome, and that the positions they hold their body in for long periods are affecting their body. If postural syndrome goes untreated, it can create lasting damage. 

If you have back pain that hasn’t improved with rest and time, consider having your posture evaluated and rehabilitated using the McKenzie Therapy method at Pinnacle Sports Performance and Rehabilitation. 

How McKenzie Therapy can help correct posture and relieve pain

When you undergo McKenzie Therapy with our team, it consists of four steps: assessment, classification, treatment, and prevention. 

Our team starts by discussing your symptoms and having you do a series of exercises to assess your symptoms, look at your posture, and determine if your pain is due to postural syndrome. Once we classify your back pain, we can create a treatment plan that will work to relieve your pain. 

No two McKenzie Therapy plans are the same, and your physical therapy exercises will work for your unique needs and goals. As you go through treatment, your pain should slowly but noticeably lessen as the strain on your back is relieved and you learn to carry your body differently. 

To prevent postural syndrome from recurring, our team provides helpful tools on how to be aware of your posture and to avoid keeping your body in unnatural positions (or any position for that matter) for too long. 

For posture rehabilitation services that can reduce pain and give you the tools you need for optimal sports performance, schedule an appointment with our team by calling your nearest office location or using our online booking feature today.