CLEVELAND — During the pandemic, don't fall victim to another health problem sweeping the nation: bad posture.
Right now, we're living in front of screens. Dr. Glenn Poulain of Ohana Chiropractic in Avon said bad posture can break you down.
When texting or face-timing, he says lift your phone to eye level to avoid neck strain. Otherwise, he says it can put quite a burden on your body.
"That's going to add 20, 30, 40 pounds of tension to the muscles in your upper back," said Poulain.
When sitting, he says to always sit on the edge of your seat.
"Your pelvis will roll forward and that will automatically straighten you up and give you a proper alignment," he said. "Versus, if you're sitting back... all slouched, right?"
He also recommends getting up out of your seat every 20 minutes to walk around and do stretches for your neck several times a day.
He recommends gently pulling on the back of your head when facing to the left, center and right.
Poulain also recommends against popping your knuckles.
"That's not good," he said. "It's going to speed up the degeneration in that knuckle. Instead, just pull gently and you can even pull and rotate a little bit."
He said you shouldn't pop your own back, either. Instead, Poulain said use a foam roller for relief.
"Sit on the floor, put it behind you, cross your arms and then roll over that foam roller and you'll hear some releases in that mid-back," he said.
He also recommends constantly drinking water throughout the day.
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