How you typically position your body when going through your day defines your posture. Posture is a key, but sometimes overlooked, aspect of general good health and chronic pain management. Our bodies are designed to move. Our muscles tense and stiffen if we don’t move them enough. Similarly, we can get caught in the grip of poor posture, which can create problems throughout our whole body.

Poor posture can lead to back or shoulder pain, as well as tightness in the hips, and it can strain the muscles and the nerves of the spinal cord. Ultimately, tension on any part of the spinal system can result in neck pain.

Heat therapy has been a treatment option for many years. It is enjoying a comeback as an excellent way to reduce the severity of chronic pain. Heat therapy is in fact a pretty simple concept. Any treatment that uses heat to help soothe pain, relax muscles or ease stress can be classified as a form of heat therapy. Heat therapy is very accepted because it can be done by pretty much anyone and for very little cost. If there is a bathtub or a shower or even a hot facecloth, one can perform their very own heat therapy treatment. Recently, more complex forms of heat therapy like ultrasound and paraffin waxing has come into the spotlight and they are now being used in pain clinics, hospitals, and spas across North America and Europe. Though it is generally a very simple form of treatment, heat therapy is actually quite original in the way that it relieves pain and muscle stiffness. When applied to sore areas of the body, heat helps to dilate the blood vessels. This encourages blood to rush to the affected area, flushing out toxins and other wastes. This blood also brings oxygen to the site, which helps to repair soft tissue, encourage muscle tone and relax muscles contractions.

Arthritis is, fundamentally, painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints. Stiffness in key weight bearing joints (such as the hips, knees, back) can lead to poor posture.

Gentle exercise is one way of reducing the effects of arthritis. Climbing stairs is an easy, low impact, and easy to do activity which may help you get arthritis and joint pain relief.