You’ve been living with lower back pain for years. Whether you’re at your desk job or relaxing at home, you consistently feel pain and tension in the lower region of your body and it’s interrupting your daily tasks. The discomfort is impossible to ignore, but you don’t know which medical professional to consult about this issue.

If any of these relate to you, it’s possible you may have Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS), and it’s time to visit a chiropractor.

What is Lower Cross Syndrome? In this article, I will unpack what LCS is, common symptoms and causes, and treatment for Lower Cross Syndrome that can help relieve your discomfort.

What Is Lower Cross Syndrome?

Lower Cross Syndrome is a muscular imbalance that results in changes in posture. This imbalance can lead to prolonged pain or tension in the lower back, hips, and pelvic region. 

What Are the Causes?

Both a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture can lead to Lower Cross Syndrome. This is a result of prolonged sitting due to work-life or injury which can lead to shortened hip flexor muscles. Shortened hip flexor muscles lead to tight lower back muscles which contribute to weak abdominal/core and gluteal/butt muscles.

The postural effects appear as a forward tilt of the pelvis, a forward head posture, and an excessive lower-back arch, thus a protruding abdomen. This contributes to an imbalance pull of muscles that affect the lower back, hips, pelvic region, and sometimes the hamstrings.

What Are Common Symptoms?

People who suffer from Lower Cross Syndrome often experience the following symptoms:

• Stiffness in the lumbar, hip, hamstrings, or pelvic area
• Pain in hip flexors, spine, gluteal muscles, and groin
• An overly arched low back
• Tension or tightness in the lower back and/or gluteal muscles

Treatments

Exercise and stretching is the best way to treat this syndrome. Considering that Lower Cross Syndrome develops as a result of shortened hip flexors and weak abdominal and gluteal muscles, the best treatment is to loosen and/or strengthen these muscles.

Here are exercises and stretches you can do to treat your lower back pain:

Stretches

To treat shortened or tight hip flexors, you have to loosen these muscles. Try these 2 stretches:

• Foam roller: Place the foam roller underneath the tight area of the lower body and roll back and forth over the area until tension loosens.
• Hip extensor stretch: Stand up straight, facing a wall with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on the wall for support. Step back with your right foot, keeping your right knee slightly bent. Bend the left knee, in a slight lunge. You should feel a gentle pull at the front of the right hip and thigh. Stay in this position for 60 seconds. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Exercises

To treat weak abdominal and gluteal muscles, you have to strengthen them. Try these two exercises:

• Hip raises: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips up. Be sure to press your feet firmly into the ground and squeeze your glutes at the top. Pause, then repeat. 
• Lunges: From a standing position, take a step forward with your right foot and bend your right knee until your left knee is nearly touching the ground. Rise up into a standing position and repeat on the other side.

Get Treatment Today

Now that you know what can cause Lower Cross Syndrome, it’s best to get treatment from a professional.

If you are dealing with Lower Cross Syndrome, request an appointment at Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness today. This is an issue that should not go untreated. Treatment for Lower Cross Syndrome is essential to relieving constant discomfort.  

Every day, people sit down at a desk, ready to work. The coffee is hot, there’s some early morning sunshine, and everything seems to be going great — right?

Well, wrist pain can throw a wrench in those plans. When people start to experience wrist pain, it can be hard to know how to alleviate it.

Unlike other parts of our body, it’s not so easy to just let your wrists rest. But there’s still a lot you can do to help, like stretches for wrist pain. Keep reading for some simple sources of daily relief.

1. Stretches for Wrist Pain

Whether someone works from home or at an office, a desk is a classic component of the work environment—and it just might come in handy when they’re trying out new exercises for wrist pain.

One thing they can do is press up against their desk or table for several seconds. Their palms should be flat against the surface. After a few tries, they might experience some much-needed pain relief.

Another stretch they can try is to pull the fingers of one hand with their other hand. They can put their palm out flat and let their fingers dangle downward before doing so. After, they can switch to their other hand and repeat as needed.

2. Use Some Warmth

If people have a heating pad handy, this might do the trick.

Heating pads can do wonders for quick comfort and muscle relief. People can apply the heat directly to their wrists or to hands, arms, and any problem areas.

3. Work Ergonomics for Wrist Pain

Could a person’s sitting position be contributing to your wrist pain? Whether they’re typing on a keyboard, writing notes, or clicking through websites, the way they’re positioned while working can make a big difference for pain.

The desk and chair should be positioned so that the person’s wrists are in a neutral position. If the chair is too high or low, they might have to strain or move in an uncomfortable way in order to reach the desk.

4. Massage

What could be better than a gentle, calming massage? Yep, massage isn’t just for your shoulders or back. People suffering from wrist pain can get some immediate relief with a targeted wrist massage.

You can look through our variety of massage services to see what kind would work best for your situation.

5. Braces for Wrist Pain

A person doesn’t have to be suffering a sprain, fracture, or other types of injury in order to benefit from a wrist brace. These tools can help keep their wrist in a position that avoids strain and discomfort.

In order to avoid inconveniences during the day, some people wear a wrist brace at night. This way, they can avoid bending their wrist in a way that could cause pain later.

Get the Relief You Need!

For people with wrist pain, this experience could affect an incredible amount of daily tasks and activities. From working to cooking to enjoying hobbies and so much more, wrist pain can really get in the way. The good news is that relief is out there.   So go ahead and try those stretches for wrist pain! Get a brace if needed. And to get recommendations for your particular situation, you can send us a message right on our website.