The right exercise can help back pain, bad posture, and other spinal disorders. But the wrong exercise could end up doing more harm than good. Many patients ask us: “Will exercises and stretches fix my pain?” The answer—yes and no.

Let’s first look at what happens when you use the proper technique. Exercises and stretches, when done correctly, can help to alleviate pain. However, the wrong exercise can do more harm than good by putting too much pressure on your spinal cord and nervous system.

Pain is linked to posture imbalances in your body. That means one side is stronger than the other. For example, if you exercise the same way on both sides of your body, the stronger side will continue to get stronger faster, and the weaker side may get stronger but at a much slower rate.

Research shows that even in more extreme cases of spinal imbalance, such as scoliosis, one-sided exercises can be effective in correcting your imbalance.

Proper exercises and stretches, paired with other treatments, offered better results for patients than treatments alone, according to studies in the American Journal of Physical Medical Medicine & Rehabilitation and European Spine Journal.

At Rowe Chiropractic, we use specialized techniques, such as Chiropractic BioPhysics™ (CBP™), to identify the correct exercises and stretch routines to help alleviate your pain. If you’d like to learn more about how we can improve your posture and spinal health, please call us today at (212) 486-8888.