Stress levels elevate during the holidays and so does the number of people who experience back pain. Back pain is the second most common medical complaint, reports The New England Medical Journal, and more than 80 million Americans suffer from it. So, it's a good idea to learn how to keep stress in check so you can enjoy the holiday season.
HOLIDAY STRESS CHECK LIST
1. Holiday shoppers, is one shoulder higher than the other when carrying packages?
2. Are your shoulders up around your ears?
3. Are you drinking in excess of 3 cups of coffee a day to keep up with holiday frenzy?
4. Do you grind your teeth and jaws?
5. Do you experience stiffness when turning your neck and head?
6. Do you have lower back pain?
HOW TO REDUCE HOLIDAY STRESS
1. When carrying packages or a heavy purse, keep shoulders squared, so weight is distributed evenly. Don't let one shoulder drop.
2. To avoid rounded shoulders, remember to maintain good posture. Imagine warm water flowing across your shoulders and down your back. Relax your muscles as the water flows over them.
3. While shopping or standing in line, drop and relax your shoulders. Imagine wearing heavy weights, your shoulders will drop without tensing them. Drop and relax your jaw.
4. Keep a positive attitude. If you have to park far from the shopping area, view it as a brisk walk you didn't have time to take.
5. Plan time and budget money, to avoid anxiety.
6. Take a few minutes in the middle and at the end of a day for quiet relaxation. Take deep breaths, this will relax you.
7. Place a rolled towel or small pillow to support your lower back while sitting at a desk or computer. This will ease any lower back tension.
8. Participate in a sport or exercise. Choose low-impact exercises that don't jar the back.
9. When getting out of a chair, swing both legs around at the same time. When sitting in a chair, place feet flat on the floor, don't dangle them. Use armrests, it takes pressure off the back, arms and shoulders.
10. Get enough rest.
"Listen to any stress signals. They are warnings and are there for a reason," says Dr. Light.
Dr. Kenneth Light graduated from the Cornell University College of Medicine in New York City. He completed his residency in Orhopaedic Surgery at the University of California in San Francisco., and completed a fellowship in spinal surgery under the guidance of Edward H. Simmons at the State University of New York in Buffalo. Dr. Light was director of the spine clinic at San Francisco General Hospital, and was founder and medical director of the San Francisco Spine Center at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, is board certified with the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at University of California, San Francisco. He is currently in private practice in San Francisco where he specializes in reconstructive surgery in patients who have had failed back surgery.
