Chiropractic and Posture

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.

When Sitting or standing Try to Always

• hold in your stomach to lift your upper body and straighten your lower back
• Relax and drop your shoulders.
• Stand or sit Tall.

It is especially good to think of your posture when you walk. If you hold yourself correctly whilst walking you will exercise the muscles that maintain proper posture. You will then not need to think about your posture so much at other times.

Good posture

Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces.
Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
Prevents backache and muscular pain.
Contributes to a good appearance.

Causes of poor posture

A bad posture or slouching posture is unable to optimally distribute weight across the body framework, and hence is ineffective. Poor work/study/resting posture at computer screens, desks and watching TV leads to spinal stiffness and gradual restriction in certain areas of the spine whilst other joints are overused causing disc damage.

• psychological factors, low self-esteem, shyness , tallness
• spinal developmental and degenerative processes
• neck and back pain leading to muscle guarding and avoidance postures
• compensatory scoliosis (lateral spinal curvature) caused by a shorter leg or pelvic joint subluxation with muscle imbalance and spasms
• excess weight causing sway-back , rounded middle-back, forward poking neck leading to spinal disc damage and nerve compressions (shoulder /arm pain and sciatica)

 

Examination Diagnosis

A patient's postural faults must be accurately diagnosed before they can be effectively corrected. Examination and diagnosis includes the following:

• observation of the patient as they sit and move .
• three-dimensional analysis
• spinal segmental palpation then alignment
• flexibility tests
• muscle length and strength tests