Strong abdominal muscles may actually prevent you from incurring a back injury, since these muscles are so critical to maintaining your spine's position, as well as assisting you with lifting. Strong abdominals can also lower, minimize, or avoid back pain from excessive strains, help your body deal

While many have heard of it, few know very much about it. Yet acupuncture is one of the oldest healing arts in the world, practiced centuries ago by ancient Chinese as a method of curing a host of ailments. Today, Americans make as many as 12 million visits per year to acupuncture practitioners, according

Adjustments Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to be a safe and effective alternative treatment for pain and injury. Chiropractors perform 95 percent of all adjustments in the world to correct the subluxations, or misalignments, of the vertebrae in the spine. Chiropractic adjustments are performed

Before the early 1970s, seat belts and shoulder restraints were not standard equipment in automobiles. And it wasn't until 1985 that the first airbags began appearing in cars. The positive impact those two innovations have had on the reduction of spinal cord injuries cannot be underestimated. In fact,

Did you know that people lose 20 to 40 percent of their muscle (and along with it their strength) as they age? Our population is aging rapidly as a result of the huge baby boom in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by declining birth rates in the succeeding decades. Thanks to remarkable advances in medicine

Lower back Lie flat on your stomach. Raise one arm at a time. Hold for 5 counts, then slowly lower. Do 20 repetitions for each arm. Try raising one leg at a time. Hold for 5 counts, then slowly lower. Do 20 repetitions for each leg. Advanced versions of this exercise involve raising both legs or arms

In recent years, evidence has come to light that we are placing our children at risk for debilitating muscle and joint injuries from overloaded backpacks, a staple among elementary and high school-aged kids. Overloaded backpacks: Cause the shoulders to round, leading to poor posture later in life Distort

Since most of us spend at least a third of our lives lying down, a good quality mattress goes a long way in avoiding a whole host of musculoskeletal problems later in life. In addition, a quality mattress will help you get a good night's sleep, which most health practitioners agree is essential to a