Bad posture - Do you have it?

Posture key facts

• Posture is like the foundation for a building

• Maintaining good posture is EASIER then repairing bad posture

• Excessive screen time is associated with bad posture

• Females in their teens are more likely to have scoliosis that progresses

  
  

What is good posture?

“Stand up straight!”

We have all heard it, but have you ever wondered what good posture actually means? Ideally if you were to look at yourself in the mirror you would see that your eyes, shoulders and hips were level with one another. There wouldn’t be any tilting of the head, one shoulder higher than the other or bowing at the knees.

What about good posture from the side? When looking from the side you would draw an imaginary line down from the center of your ear. If you have that same line cross the center of your shoulder, hip and knee as it goes down then you would have what we call “perfect posture’.

Why does good posture matter?

Think of your spine as the foundation for a building. If the foundations were bad would you expect the floor to creak , the walls to crack and the doors to not close properly.

Some of the benefits of good posture include:

• Improved breathing function

• Less uneven wear and tear

• Prevention of chronic pain

• Injury prevention

• Improves circulation of the digestive system

• More self confidence

What are common causes of bad posture?

Bad posture tends to gradually occur with:

• Too much screen time

• Poor computer posture

• Poor sleep posture

• Too much time on the phone

• Previous injury

• Heavy back packs

• Persistent slouching

• Work-related poor postures

What symptoms are related to bad posture?

Common symptoms can very in location and can include:

• Headaches and migraines

• Neck pain

• Back pain

• Lower back pain

• Burning pain

• Shoulder tightness

• Clicking and popping of the neck and back

• Decrease in movement

• Spinal stiffness

Acute Vs Chronic poor posture

What conditions are commonly related to bad posture?

Bad posture has links to many musculoskeletal conditions including:

• Scoliosis: This condition results in abnormal curvature of the spine. Typically a scoliotic spine on medical imaging would have an ‘S bend’ which may result in spine pain, difficulty with breathing and severe posture problems

• Text neck: Linked to the excessive use of smartphones. Text neck is characterized with a forward head posture, burning of the shoulder and sometimes clicking and popping of the neck

• Wry neck: This condition results in a temporary tilting of the head due to a problem in the neck structures. It causes headaches, neck pain, tilting of the head and a decrease in movement

• Herniated disc: A condition in which the disc between the spine vertebrae ruptures. This can result in severe pain and cause an individual to lean away from the side of pain. The more severe the disc herniation the more an individual may lean.

• Arthritis: Uneven wear and tear of the spine can cause postural imbalances. Arthritis can result from a persistent forward head posture and can continue this cycle by pushing the head further forward.

How to prevent bad posture?

Preventing bad posture can be easy by creating simple habits towards better posture daily:

• Sleep: It is recommended that you sleep on your side keeping your head aligned with your body. Check your mattress and pillow for an expiry date. In general a good pillow and mattress will last 10 years.

• Computer: Try lifting up the bottom edge of the computer monitor to the level of your eyes. This is slightly higher then normal and will help encourage a quicker improvement in your posture.

• Backpack: Keep your backpack weight to 10% of your own body weight.

• Standing: Try to stand evenly on both legs, most people tend to lean on one more leg more than the other.

• Shoes: Check the soles of your shoes to see if there is uneven wear and tear.

When to speak to a Chiropractic about posture

There is no perfect time to start working on your posture. The earlier that you do look to improve your posture the better off you will be long-term and the simpler it will be to maintain.

Getting posture right early is always the key and this will involve a detailed assessment of your unique posture. Our Chiropractors will assess your posture using 2 important methods. A static assessment of your posture is important to gather valuable information on how you line up when one side of the body is compared to another. Dynamic postures will be assessed to also gain valuable insight on how your posture maintains itself through movement.

When you are ready to have a professional look and assess your posture our Chiropractors are ready to help you. For more information on posture, ask to speak to one of our Chiropractors complimentary and commitment free.

Chiropractic care may include traditional Chiropractic adjustments, drop piece, Activator and SOT blocks. In most cases bad posture will need to be addressed and the use of specific postural rehabilitation exercises and stretches will be required.

Need more help?

Do you need more information about good posture and bad posture? Contact us and ask to speak to one of our friendly Chiropractors, risk free!

Quick Facts