Questions for Icequeen

[El]

What do you know about spinal curvature, how alterable it is, and how to tell how alterable it is?

My upper back curves forward and has as long as I can remember.  It got a lot worse over time (desk job), and has gotten better this last year as I've strengthened my back muscles, and I'm doing some exercises to work on flexibility, but I'm not sure how far that will go.  I don't know what is just years of bad posture vs. something like scoliosis (or actual scoliosis), and whether that matters or not anyway.

["couldbecousin"]

What do you know about spinal curvature, how alterable it is, and how to tell how alterable it is?

My upper back curves forward and has as long as I can remember.  It got a lot worse over time (desk job), and has gotten better this last year as I've strengthened my back muscles, and I'm doing some exercises to work on flexibility, but I'm not sure how far that will go.  I don't know what is just years of bad posture vs. something like scoliosis (or actual scoliosis), and whether that matters or not anyway.

  This interests me also. 

[Jack]

What do you know about spinal curvature, how alterable it is, and how to tell how alterable it is?

My upper back curves forward and has as long as I can remember.  It got a lot worse over time (desk job), and has gotten better this last year as I've strengthened my back muscles, and I'm doing some exercises to work on flexibility, but I'm not sure how far that will go.  I don't know what is just years of bad posture vs. something like scoliosis (or actual scoliosis), and whether that matters or not anyway.

Thinking this has come up before. Ever discuss with a doctor trying a posture brace?

[DirtDawg]

Do you really like all those big ass TRUCKS or are you just playing into my hand?

 

['andersom']

What do you know about spinal curvature, how alterable it is, and how to tell how alterable it is?

My upper back curves forward and has as long as I can remember.  It got a lot worse over time (desk job), and has gotten better this last year as I've strengthened my back muscles, and I'm doing some exercises to work on flexibility, but I'm not sure how far that will go.  I don't know what is just years of bad posture vs. something like scoliosis (or actual scoliosis), and whether that matters or not anyway.

Thinking this has come up before. Ever discuss with a doctor trying a posture brace?

At the moment I'm using a back stretcher. Well not at the moment, right now I'm posting.

I store stress in my muscles, getting a similar posture. Month ago physiotherapist let me borrow hers, because therapy is not an option right now. Effect of five minutes on that torturing device is big. If I notice there are still some big "knots" in my back muscles I massage them myself, with the help of a hard small rubber ball and the wall.

(Just imagine this bovine rubbing her back against the wall, the rubber ball will be pressed into the sore bits. It will be moving because of the movements I make. In the mean time I train my legs as a side effect.)

[Jack]

At the moment I'm using a back stretcher. Well not at the moment, right now I'm posting.

I store stress in my muscles, getting a similar posture. Month ago physiotherapist let me borrow hers, because therapy is not an option right now. Effect of five minutes on that torturing device is big. If I notice there are still some big "knots" in my back muscles I massage them myself, with the help of a hard small rubber ball and the wall.

(Just imagine this bovine rubbing her back against the wall, the rubber ball will be pressed into the sore bits. It will be moving because of the movements I make. In the mean time I train my legs as a side effect.)

Correcting posture is a subconscious behavioral reconditioning, and torture is an excellent way to describe it. Though absolutely believe a year's worth of torture spared me from a lifetime of pain.

[renaeden]

I used to have a quite obvious hunchback until I was about 25. Then I went to a chiropractor because I had back pain and pain pills and anti-inflammatories weren't helping. He gave me exercises to do to straighten my back.

The most effective exercise I did was to take a towel and roll it up into sausage shape and lay on the floor with it under my back horizontally where the lowest ribs are. I did this for a few minutes every night before bed. I noticed a difference almost straight away. I will most likely always have back problems but I can stand straight now and I see that as a bonus.

[El]

I used to have a quite obvious hunchback until I was about 25. Then I went to a chiropractor because I had back pain and pain pills and anti-inflammatories weren't helping. He gave me exercises to do to straighten my back.

The most effective exercise I did was to take a towel and roll it up into sausage shape and lay on the floor with it under my back horizontally where the lowest ribs are. I did this for a few minutes every night before bed. I noticed a difference almost straight away. I will most likely always have back problems but I can stand straight now and I see that as a bonus.

Can you find a picture or video of how to do this?  I'm not sure I'm understanding the description correctly.

EDIT:  Or just clarify:  is the "sausage" perpendicular (90 degree angle) to your spine?  (Which is what I'm inferring based on subsequent posts)

[Jack]

I used to have a quite obvious hunchback until I was about 25. Then I went to a chiropractor because I had back pain and pain pills and anti-inflammatories weren't helping. He gave me exercises to do to straighten my back.

The most effective exercise I did was to take a towel and roll it up into sausage shape and lay on the floor with it under my back horizontally where the lowest ribs are. I did this for a few minutes every night before bed. I noticed a difference almost straight away. I will most likely always have back problems but I can stand straight now and I see that as a bonus.

For me the struggle was overcoming the natural instinct. Slumping and slouching were like breathing.

[El]

I used to have a quite obvious hunchback until I was about 25. Then I went to a chiropractor because I had back pain and pain pills and anti-inflammatories weren't helping. He gave me exercises to do to straighten my back.

The most effective exercise I did was to take a towel and roll it up into sausage shape and lay on the floor with it under my back horizontally where the lowest ribs are. I did this for a few minutes every night before bed. I noticed a difference almost straight away. I will most likely always have back problems but I can stand straight now and I see that as a bonus.

For me the struggle was overcoming the natural instinct. Slumping and slouching were like breathing.

Lol, Jack, I know you really want me to have a trainer or brace.  I'm hoping for a less extreme alternative so that's what I'm gonna try first. 

[Icequeen]

This might be close. I remember my mom just laying looking up at the ceiling with a towel rolled under her back some days and saying it helped (she had it too).
 


She also had some sort of exercise machine thing... Body by Jake back device they don't make anymore purchased from a late night infomercial that she loved. Really it looked like the ab roller but different...they make something called the ab and back plus now...doesn't look the same. 

Braces are only recommended for short term pain relief for adults...not like when I was a teenager (one of my best friends had to wear one for years). They still really only help stop the progression, it's not a fix.

[Jack]

Lol, Jack, I know you really want me to have a trainer or brace.  I'm hoping for a less extreme alternative so that's what I'm gonna try first. 

Stop slouching.

[renaeden]

That first exercise the guy does is right - except I laid flat on my back on the floor on the towel looking at the ceiling.

His exercise is for side to side scoliosis.

[El]

That first exercise the guy does is right - except I laid flat on my back on the floor on the towel looking at the ceiling.

His exercise is for side to side scoliosis.

Having done more research, I think if it's not sideways, it's not scoliosis.

['andersom']

 

The one I use does not have green rolls but solid wooden "notches". ( Can't think up the translation for "uitsteeksels" right now)