Ladies, do you suffer from PMS?  When your medical doctor puts you on the pill for PMS, this will, in the long run make you worse.  The pill is synthetic estrogens that usually come from horse urine.  The synthetic estrogens will trick your body into thinking that it is pregnant, thus your PMS symptoms will decrease while you are on the pill. The synthetic estrogens from the pill will shut off your own natural production of estrogen.  So, when you go off the pill your body's own natural hormone balance will be all messed up!  Your symptoms will be worse!  Basically, the pill will decrease your symptoms at the time, but it will make the symptoms worse in the long run, and then when you want to have a baby after you go off the pill, it will make conception significantly more difficult.

We all know that when you have a physical injury or chemical imbalance, this can cause pain.  Did you know that emotional injury can cause physical pain?  I have first hand knowledge on this subject.  I have felt how something that was 100% emotional caused me physical pain.  This is why I have incorporated the emotional aspect of healing into my chiropractic practice.  Whatever is causing your pain, I can help heal you. 

80% of Americans suffer from low back pain at some time in their life.  These numbers are staggering!  Now, we have to analyze why this is.  We as Americans lead very sedentary lives.  Even if you work out, as I do, we still sit the majority of the day.  We sit to eat, drive, work, and rest.  The vast majority of Americans have some sort of desk job.  We as humans are not meant to be sedentary.  To decrease the harmful effects of all this sitting, we need to open up our hips and stretch our hip flexors (the Psoas muscles).  Here is how to do it.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.  Take one extra large step in front of you and hold it there.  Always have a wall right next to you (on your side) for balance.   Bend that front leg.  Your front knee should never go past your toes; if they do, widen your stance.  Your back leg is straight and you're up on that back toe (your back heal is off the ground).  So, with your front leg bent and your back leg straight, rotate your hips towards your front leg.  Bring your shoulders and head up into proper posture and lean back just slightly.  Now, breathe.  Hold this stretch for 60 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

Yesterday I told you how to strengthen your back for proper posture.  This will give you the strength to hold your shoulders back.  Today we are going to go over the stretches that you will need to do to help maintain that posture.  You will need to stretch your chest (pectoral) muscles so you can get your shoulders back into proper posture.  The more you slouch, the tighter your chest muscles get, the less your body will like being in proper posture.  I give my patients a simple way to stretch their chest muscles.

Stand in a door way, put both hands on the door frame at shoulder height.  With your head up and shoulders back, take a step through the door way until you feel a nice stretch in your chest.  Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds.  Repeat with your hands above shoulder height and hold this for 30-60 seconds.  Then repeat with your hands slightly below shoulder height and hold for 30-60 seconds.  For more information, visit my website at www.hermenhealth.com, or make an appointment for an exam and consultation. 

When thinking about posture exercises you need to work your body opposing gravity.  Gravity will pull your shoulders down and make you slouch.  You need to regain your posture.  Here is one exercise to help regain proper posture. 

Stand with your back against the wall; Put your heals, hips, shoulders, and head flat against the wall.  This may feel unnatural, but this position is proper posture.  Then bring your arms up against the wall forming a "goal post".  Your elbows, wrists, and fingers are all flat against the wall too.  Now, keeping both arms, elbows, wrists, and fingers on the wall, straighten your arms above your head as much as you can without losing contact with the wall.  Then bring your arms back down to the "goal post" position without losing contact with the wall ever.  This is one repetition.  Do 3 sets of 5-10 repetitions a day.  For more information, visit my website at www.hermenhealth.com.