KOENIG WELLNESS - Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage And Nutrition Services In Hoover; AL; USA

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Posture Products & Tips

Restoring the natural curves of your spine helps to maintain proper nutrition to your discs, which improves posture and range of motion.

Depending on your age and the condition of your spine, your wellness doctor may recommend you use tools to help reduce spinal degeneration due to long-term spinal misalignment. Devices such as a Posture Pump, Cervical Rolls, Spinal Fulcrums, Spinal Traction and the Neck Orthotic can help reduce spinal decay and in many cases actual increase the health of your spine by helping to restore the natural curves of your spine. Restoring the natural curves of your spine helps to maintain proper nutrition to your discs improving your posture and range of motion. People regularly report that these types of tools help them to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Experts suggest that proper alignment of the spine helps to reduce the rate of spinal degeneration, which can have a variety of overall positive health benefits. In addition, we have all seen what people look like whose posture worsens with aging, and there is little that can be done to improve posture once decades of damage and neglect have set in. If you are concerned that you don’t want to look all hunched over when you are older, now is the time to begin to care for your spine.

Watch this retro video about posture made in 1953 I came across...hillarious!

Smart Style Products

Continually wearing the wrong items, such as a heavy backpack, can cause injury to your health.

You probably wouldn't connect getting ill with what you wear, but perhaps you should. When it comes to being healthy, you probably don't give your clothes a second thought. The reality is that what you wear could play a crucial role in your health, even making you ill if you continually wear the wrong items, such as a heavy backpack. Below are some of our recommendations for back saving wear.

Backpacks

Another important wellness essential product is an ergonomically designed backpack. It is amazing how we can put thousands of pages of data onto a microchip smaller than the eye can see, yet kids are carrying backpacks that are heavier than ever filled with text books. Many schools are taking away kid's lockers making the problem even worse. Some kids carry backpacks with 40% of their body weight or more. You can see them walking to school leaning forward to offset the weight on their backs. Until schools figure out a way to make the loads lighter, we recommend that you get a backpack that is designed to help you stand up straighter. Our favorite is the AirPack Backpack designed by Core Products because of its patented shoulder straps and inflatable lumbar cushion which when properly adjusted redistributes the weight from the shoulders and upper back into the hips promoting a healthier upright standing posture.

Wallets

Most men carry a wallet in their back pockets and in many cases it can be over a half an inch thick. Sitting on a half inch wedge for hours at a time over a period of years is one of the most overlooked causes of spinal misalignments and spinal pain including back pain, neck pain and even headaches. Our recommendation is to clean out your wallet and carry only what is really necessary. An innovative new product that has a unique patented designed and can reduce the size of your wallet by over 50% is called the TPK Back Saver Wallet, we like to think of it as The Wellness Wallet. Its unique thin design allows for it to be carried in your front pocket instead of your back pocket restoring the natural tripod effect of your spine when you are seated. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.

Custom Orthotics

Your feet are the base that your body stands on. If your feet are weak or have structural problems, this can lead to problems in your knees, hips and low back, and can even cause headaches. Many people wear orthotics because they are good for their feet, but orthotics are even more important for those who experience pain after extended walking or standing. The most popular brand of orthotics is Foot Levelers. Foot Levelers, Inc. has been in business for over 50 years. When ordering orthotics, a cast or mold will be made of each of your soles. Some doctors have started to use high tech digital scanners. At least 16 different measurements of your feet are taken to ensure that your feet, and therefore your foundation, are more firmly supported. Please note that the orthotics and insoles that you buy at your drug store are not the same as the high quality orthotics that you can have custom made, even though they look similar. Insoles may effectively reduce pressure by increasing the padding under your feet, but orthotics are customized and provide a foot-bed that is molded specifically for each of your feet based on their unique shape and size. Customized orthotics are also a worthy investment. Ask us whether we think you need orthotics or not.

Good Shoes

Most people spend close to two-thirds of their life in shoes, so finding proper-fitting shoes is very important. Feet endure tremendous pressures of daily living. An average day of walking brings a force equal to several hundred tons on your feet. Feet are subject to more injury than any other part of the body, underscoring the need to protect them with proper shoes. Here is a quick guide to selecting the right shoes for your feet.

Always have your feet measured while you’re standing.
Always try on both shoes, and walk around the store.
Always buy for the larger foot; feet are seldom precisely the same size.
Don’t buy shoes that need a ‘break-in’ period; shoes should be comfortable immediately.
Don’t rely on the size of your last pair of shoes; your feet do get larger.
Shop for shoes later in the day, as feet tend to swell during the day.
Select a shoe with a leather upper, stiff heel counter, good cushioning, and flexibility at the ball of the foot.
Try on shoes while you’re wearing the same type of socks or stockings you expect to wear with the shoes.
If you wear prescription orthotics, you should take them along to shoe fittings.

Pillows & Supports

Neck Pillows

There are a variety of different types of pillows that are made of different grades of foam and have custom curves designed into them to support your neck. If you are like most people, you sleep on your pillow for six to nine hours every night. Shouldn’t you sleep on something that will help you maintain your good health, not something that will slowly continue to allow your posture to get worse and worse over the years?

Knee Spacer Pillows

Another tool to help keep healthy alignment includes a special shaped support pillow that rests between your legs while you're lying on your side. It is very comfortable to sleep with and once again helps not only reduce pressure on your low back, it helps you get a better night sleep.

The Leg Spacer® by Core Products was designed to help relieve pressure and strain on the lower back, hips, knees and ankles while you sleep. The design accomplishes this by helping keep your legs aligned with your spine. The contoured design of the Leg Spacer® helps the pillow move with you when you turn over, giving you uninterrupted sleep. It fits comfortably between your legs keeping them in line with the spine. This relieves pressure on the spine and nerves. The pillow is constructed with high-quality polyfoam with a variety of cover choices from a soft fleece cover to no cover at all. While lying on you side, place the Leg Spacer® between your legs just above the knee.

Orthopedic Mattress

Most people spend approximately one-third of their entire life lying in bed. The quality of your mattress can make a huge difference between waking up feeling refreshed and waking up in pain. In fact, old worn-out mattresses are an extremely common contributor to chronic back and neck pain. Good health and sleep are closely linked. Just as we improve our eating habits for better health, we should also improve our sleep habits. Good sleep not only reduces back problems, it also helps to prepare us for a more productive day.

If you think that your mattress may be past its prime, here are some tips to help you select the right mattress for you:

Personal preference should ultimately determine what mattress to purchase. Any mattress that helps someone sleep without pain and stiffness is the best mattress for that individual. There is no single mattress that works for all people with low back pain. Look for a mattress that is adjustable in firmness and support for you.
Find a mattress that has proper support for good sleep posture. Good sleep posture is nearly the same as good standing posture, with the ear, shoulder, hip and ankle all in alignment. This will require different levels of support for different parts of the body.
Know when it’s time to get a new mattress. If an old mattress sags visibly in the middle, it is probably time to purchase a new one. Putting boards under a sagging mattress is only a short-term fix and may cause more back problems and low back pain in the long run.
Be wary of mattress advertising gimmicks. Claims that a mattress is “orthopedic” or “medically-approved” should be viewed skeptically. There has not been extensive medical research or controlled clinical trials on the topic of mattresses and low back pain. You must determine whether or not extra features on a mattress make it more comfortable or supportive for your back.
Look for a mattress that manages temperature and moisture.

Spinal Curve Maintenance

Posture Pump

Posture Pump® is a serious spinal health care product recommended by doctors to thousands of patients throughout the USA and other countries and is designed for home care neck pain relief. It is not a massage device! Just minutes on the Posture Pump® will reinforce your neck’s natural curved shape and hydrate the discs & joints. Even if you don’t experience neck pain use Posture Pump® as a preventative tool in keeping your spine healthy. Take the first step to a healthy spine and be proactive.

Download - Posture Pump 1000 Instructions

Download - Posture Pump FAQ

The Posture Right^tm Neck Orthotic

The Posture Right™ by Neck Orthotic is designed to correct forward head posture and restore a normal and healthy cervical curve. Like other cervical extension traction devices it uses a fulcrum to direct force (stretch) into the cervical spine to allow for muscle and ligament remolding. The neck orthotic has a non-changing, constant, specific 1 inch contact point that delivers a significant amount of traction without the use of additional weights, pulleys, straps, water or inflation. Some of the benefits of this innovative neck care product include:

Staged progressive care.
Strong, durable and maintains shape.
Active patient home care.

Download - Posture Right Neck Orthotic Instruction Sheet

Workplace posture - Ergonomics

Monitor

First it was great when computer monitors went from taking up so much desk space to the new flat panels but they are still on the desk taking up space and don’t have too many ways to adjust their position to best fit a person's work station. Human Scale, a leader in ergonomic office furniture, offers a variety of computer monitor arms that can get your monitor off your desk. It is completely adjustable so you can move it around where you want to, when you want to. It’s a brilliant idea whose time has come.

Keyboard & Mouse

Many computer keyboards now include wrist pads as standard accessories. There are, however, ways to upgrade and enjoy the benefits of a liquid filled or foam pad designed to comfortably support your wrists while typing and using your mouse. If you are using a computer regularly, these are worth the investment.

Headset

If you talk on the phone regularly and for long periods of time, a headset is a great tool to prevent headaches, stiff necks and sore shoulders. If you really want a new and healthy experience, invest in a cordless headset. Being able to stand up, walk around and use your hands while talking on the phone is not only healthier, it helps you be even more productive. One of the most popular brands is Plantronics and we personally enjoy using them.

Because many people spend almost half of all of their waking hours sitting at a desk, it is important that your chair, desk and other equipment help your body maintain good posture and alignment. A healthy work station involves being aware of your seating, keyboard and mouse, computer monitor position and glare, telephone position, feet position, lighting and proper positioning of your work. It is critical to evaluate the proper set up of your work environment because it is often the cause of most repetitive stress injuries, such as carpel tunel.

Things like improper chair position, cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder, or straining your neck to look at your computer monitor is not a big deal every once in a while, but when you do the same repetitive motions for several hours a day, several days a week, several weeks a month and so on., you will find that your body eventually has to give and in many cases will suffer pain, discomfort, poor posture and spinal disc damage. Unfortunately, most people don’t correlate these problems to their day-to-day activity because they think it has to be caused by a specific traumatic event. That’s just not the case.