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Posture is the position of someone’s body when doing an activity. This activity can be any activity including sitting, standing, or even sleeping. Ergonomics is also a big part of posture and is more the activity you are performing in a work environment.
The spine should have curvatures that correlate with certain areas along with proper alignment of extremities. We look at someone’s posture from two different angles: the side standing and straight on when standing. The side view should show that someone’s ear lines up with the lateral shoulder, lateral hip, and lateral ankle. The view from straight ahead should show that someone is similar and level when comparing the left side of your body to your right side; as in when imagining the person is split in half with an imaginary line.
When poor posture is present, it alters your bio-mechanics and alignment, which causes stress to you and your body. It can cause muscle imbalances where certain muscles become stronger than their antagonist muscle are weaker. A good example of this is when someone with stronger chest muscles and weaker back muscles.
So is posture important? You betcha. A good example would be those people who work at the computer most of the day. The head tends to move forward over the neck causes what is called forward head posture. When this occurs, the weight of your head can increase up to 40 pounds, depending on how far your head is forward in relation to your neck position. So good posture is important for body mechanics but someone with good posture is also seen as more presentable and confident in business. Furthermore, it is less stress on you allowing your body to move and function better, resulting in less tightness and sometime pain symptoms.
Treatment options could include:
- practicing proper ergonomics/activity modification- preventing future issues
- an adjustment- to keep your body moving correctly
- therapeutic exercises/stretches – to help correct/strengthen weaker muscles
- Soft tissue/muscle work- to help stretch/massage/release the stronger muscles
- Nutrition- Many reasons but plenty of water to hydrate yourself
So how is your posture? Give us a call today to see how our chiropractors can help you correct your posture and live a less stressful life.