WHAT DOES HAVING GOOD OR BAD POSTURE REALLY MEAN.

Posture is the window to the spine.This is the corner stone statement of why it is important to have good posture through out your life.First good posture has to be defined in order to truly understand its importance.Good posture consists of having your ears align with your shoulders and your shoulders to align with your pelvis when you are looking from a side view.When you are looking at someone from the front their ears, shoulders, and pelvis should be level.When someone is sitting good posture consists of the legs being at a 90-degree angle with the back straight and the shoulders back.

Every day we see bad posture in the population.You can watch some one walk down the street and see the shoulders and head sit forward in comparison to the hips and the feet.When posture is incorrect there are many side effects that can happen.When there is bad posture in one area of the body there is also normally compensation somewhere else in order to center the person in space.One of the main problems is that incorrect posture becomes a repetitive stress on the spine.This repetitive stress can go on to cause changes in spine health and a person can start to show symptoms if the stress is continuous.

The symptoms can include headaches, TMJ pain/dysfunction, neck pain, mid back pain, low back pain, and symptoms going down into the buttock and legs. There can also be more systemic dysfunctions such as gastro esophageal reflux (acid reflux) and constipation.There can also be changes to some ones gait or walking biomechanics when there is a change in posture.A change in normal gait can be just as harmful as the bad posture.These changes can go on to commonly cause plantar fasciitis, foot pain, and knee pain.

The next step would be the correction of bad posture to alleviate any symptoms and to prevent further changes to occur.Most people these days are sitting while they are at work.Whether they are typing or answering phones there is always a way to prevent a change from proper posture.Lumbar supports should always be used for when someone is sitting in a chair.This allows for the proper curves of the spine to be there.Next when using a phone, a head set should be used so that the hands are free and the neck can remain in a neutral posture.The same could be said for some one who drives for a long period of time.The next step would be doing specific exercises and stretches.The exercises would be to strengthen the muscles that have been neglected and to also do core strengthening in order to stabilize the spine.The stretches would be to elongate and relax the muscles that have been over used.These two as a combination allow for the body to realign and function properly.

The last concept would be how does chiropractic fit in to the rehabilitation of the bad posture.Our job is first to adjust the spine of any subluxations that may be present.This is done to help bring motion back into the segments that have been stuck.When motion has been restored it allows for the spine to have the proper biomechanics and function properly.On top of the adjustments we prescribe the stretches and exercises to help correct posture and demonstrate to the patient the proper way that each exercise is performed.We act as the inspiration to our patients to keep with their corrective treatment in order for them to have optimum health.