How important is good posture?
By far the biggest problem I see in practice is poor posture. Almost every day I meet people who have bad posture, who aren’t even aware of it, and have no idea how much it is affecting their health.
So why should you be concerned about your posture?
Good posture is essential to good health, it’s as important as eating a healthy diet, exercising and getting enough sleep. Good posture means that your bones and joints are correctly aligned, so that no extra strain is placed on your muscles, discs, ligaments or nerves. It helps contribute to the normal functioning of your body and nervous system. Your nervous system controls everything, how quickly you heal, how well your body functions, and the pain you experience are all controlled by your nervous system.
How does poor posture happen?
Poor posture can develop suddenly after an accident, slip or fall, but for most people it’s due to an accumulation of bad habits throughout their lives. With the amount of time we spend hunched over our desks, computers, phones, or slouched on the couch, and in our cars, it’s no wonder poor posture is such a common problem.
How could poor posture be causing you pain?
When you have bad posture your muscles have to work extra hard just to hold you upright. These muscles become overworked and fatigued and with time they may spasm and become stiff, tight and painful.
Poor posture places extra strain on your discs and joints, and this “wear and tear” will eventually lead to permanent degenerative changes (Osteoarthrits)
So what can you do to have good posture?
The first step is to self-assess your posture, and become more aware of your daily postural habits. If you are unsure of your posture you can consult your Chiropractor for an evaluation.
At Align Corrective Chiropractic every patient receives a digital posture examination, and if you have poor posture we may take an X-ray of your spine as this will help determine the cause.
Our focus is in detecting and correcting the cause of poor posture, so that you can hold yourself upright, move better, feel better and function the way you are supposed to.
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