Arthritis Treatments - Posture

[Guest guest]

A couple of simple things to help with posture:

 

When driving (particularly long distances), drive with hands at 8 and 4

positions on the wheel (instead of 10 and 2) with palms under the wheel,

facing upwards. This helps prevent pronation of the shoulder. It is also a

currently recommended driving position due to airbags in modern cars. It

feels weird at first but is comfortable once you get used to it.

 

When grocery shopping, push the cart with palms under the handle, facing

upwards. Again, keeps you from pronating the shoulder.

 

(Shoulder pronation is an inward/forward roll, which is hard on your neck

and causes you to slouch/hunch forwards).

 

This is a great stretch to use when you've been sitting at the computer too

long:

 

Stand up, clasp your hands behind your back with your fingers interlocked.

(Thumbs should be facing your back). Press palms together as much as you

can. Slowly push your hands away from your back, straightening your

arms...your elbows should roll inwards and it will really pull your

shoulders back and push your chest out. Lift arms upwards as much as you

reasonably can and then lower several times.

 

If limited mobility prevents you from clasping your hands behind you, there

is a slightly more complicated way to do this. Standing up, take a hand

towel or dish towel and hold the end in one hand, pointing toward your

thumb. Wrap the main part of the towel so it goes over the back of your

hand on the pinky-finger side. Now, behind your back, grab the other end of

the towel so the end is in your palm and the bulk of the towel is over the

back of your hand (a mirror image of the other hand). At this point your

palms should be facing backwards, with the ends of the towel (and your

thumbs) facing each other behind your back Using the towel ends in your

hands as leverage, roll your hands as if you are trying to wrap the towel

around them (should be rotating towards each other). This will pull your

shoulders back similar to the clasped hands move.

 

I hope this makes sense, it's easy to demonstrate but hard to describe in

words!

 

Good luck,

Melissa Bell

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Please see my replies below.

 

Melissa Bell wrote:

> A couple of simple things to help with posture:

>

> When driving (particularly long distances), drive with hands at 8 and 4

> positions on the wheel (instead of 10 and 2) with palms under the wheel,

> facing upwards. This helps prevent pronation of the shoulder. It is also a

> currently recommended driving position due to airbags in modern cars. It

> feels weird at first but is comfortable once you get used to it.

BG) This can vary tremendously among drivers. depends on how close to

the wheel you are, your arm length and so on. When driving long distance

on the interstate. I only have one hand on the wheel and the other hand

either on my lap or on the middle seat back, which folds down. This

rests my arms and shoulders, which are screwed up from when I used to

work. When in heavy traffic anywhere. Both hands are at the 10-2

positions. This way, I have excellent control of the truck. One last

thing. I never put the thumbs through the steering wheel, but rest them

on the sides of the steering wheel and the fingers wrapped around in

back of the wheel. This way, if I hit something or it hits me. The

thumbs aren't broken or dislocated by the wheel, when it is jerked

around. I've been at several accidents, where the only injuries were the

thumbs and hands, when the wheel became alive, screwed their thumbs and

hands up, because the hand or fingers were through the wheel somewhere.

>

> When grocery shopping, push the cart with palms under the handle, facing

> upwards. Again, keeps you from pronating the shoulder.

BG) This is a no brainer. I'm in a wheelchair. I get store personnel to

push my carts.LOL

>

> (Shoulder pronation is an inward/forward roll, which is hard on your neck

> and causes you to slouch/hunch forwards).

BG) Yup!

>

> This is a great stretch to use when you've been sitting at the computer too

> long:

>

> Stand up, clasp your hands behind your back with your fingers interlocked.

> (Thumbs should be facing your back). Press palms together as much as you

> can. Slowly push your hands away from your back, straightening your

> arms...your elbows should roll inwards and it will really pull your

> shoulders back and push your chest out. Lift arms upwards as much as you

> reasonably can and then lower several times.

BG) Well, even I stand up from time to time, when I have been at the

comp or watching TV too long. I obviously do it carefully and only when

I can hold on to something more or less immovable. I'll also do some

exercises in place, if possible. Kinda like working muscle against

muscle if possible. Otherwise, just moving the extremities around.

>

> If limited mobility prevents you from clasping your hands behind you, there

> is a slightly more complicated way to do this. Standing up, take a hand

> towel or dish towel and hold the end in one hand, pointing toward your

> thumb. Wrap the main part of the towel so it goes over the back of your

> hand on the pinky-finger side. Now, behind your back, grab the other end of

> the towel so the end is in your palm and the bulk of the towel is over the

> back of your hand (a mirror image of the other hand). At this point your

> palms should be facing backwards, with the ends of the towel (and your

> thumbs) facing each other behind your back Using the towel ends in your

> hands as leverage, roll your hands as if you are trying to wrap the towel

> around them (should be rotating towards each other). This will pull your

> shoulders back similar to the clasped hands move.

BG) Well, I grab a bath towel or some type of stretchy material. I flip

it around behind my back and pull with both hands. There is no way I

could do it as mentioed above.

>

> I hope this makes sense, it's easy to demonstrate but hard to describe in

> words!

Melissa, I understand what you mean. Just wish i could do it like

mentioned, but that is life.

>

> Good luck,

> Melissa Bell