We can all recall a time or two when our mothers bugged us to stand up straight and maintain proper posture. Referred to as neutral spine, posture is the position our bodies adapt while standing, sitting, or lying down. Posture is never static and keeps moving according to our body’s needs.
Ideally, we’d all make an effort to maintain good posture throughout the day. However, we all know this is not always the case, and without realizing it we start noticing signs of poor posture. In some cases, back braces are needed to fix poor posture issues. In other cases, chiropractic care can indeed provide the right support and treatments to help fix posture.
Why Is Posture So Important?
Good posture does more for your body than making you look good. Having proper posture boasts a myriad of health benefits including:
- Maintaining correct alignment of the spine, bones, and joints
- Reducing stress on ligaments
- Preventing muscle strain
- Conserving energy
- Decreasing normal joint wear and tear
Not to mention, research has shown that people with good posture feel better, sleep better, and have fewer aches and pain. Proper posture also improves digestion, helps your organs function better, and promotes overall wellness.
Signs That You Have Bad Posture
There are undeniable indicators of bad postures, such as hunched shoulders and a rounded upper back. But other signs that indicate bad posture include having a potbelly, back pain, muscle fatigue, and constant headaches. Not to mention, people with poor posture are often found walking or standing with bent knees and head that tilts either forward or backward.
Over time, maintaining poor posture can have detrimental effects on our health. When our spine is out of whack due to poor posture, we’re also more prone to injuries such as slipped spinal discs, sciatica, muscle spasms, and more.
What Contributes to Poor Posture?
The main contributor to poor posture is lack of awareness. When our core muscles are relaxed, it’s easier to hunch forward or backward in an unnatural position for our spine. Many daily activities such as looking at our phones, which leads to tech neck, sitting at a desk, or standing for long periods, all contribute to poor posture. Other factors include:
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Weak core muscles
- Obesity
- Abnormal tight muscles
- Wearing high-heeled shoes
Poor posture is very common in children, as they carry heavy backpacks for school that can lead to them hunching forward trying to compensate for the weight. Looking at pediatric chiropractic care can be important to make sure your child doesn't suffer from poor posture pains and aches.
How Chiropractic Care Helps
One of the first steps during a chiropractic assessment is to check for postural imbalances. During your physical evaluation, your chiropractor will check to see if perhaps one shoulder is higher than the other, or if you have a tilted pelvis, for example. Chiropractors know the impact these imbalances can have over time, especially in your body’s nervous system, which can trigger more pain and aches.
The best treatment a chiropractor has at their disposal to help with posture is the chiropractic adjustment. By gently adjusting your spine to correct all postural imbalances, your chiropractor makes sure your posture returns to what we know as a neutral spine. These chiropractic adjustments can help with postural problems such as:
- Hunchback
- Uneven pelvis
- Forward head posture
- Scoliosis
- Damage to the natural curvature of the spine
When chiropractic care becomes part of your overall wellness plan, your chiropractor makes sure your spine remains aligned at all times. Making sure your spine is aligned not only helps with postural problems, but also helps make sure your organs are functioning correctly, that your body’s nervous central system is not being pressed by misaligned bones, and that any abnormalities are being taken care of.
Do Chiropractors Improve Posture?
Obviously, the first step to make sure you improve your posture is becoming more aware of poor posture. Whenever you feel your spine starting to curve, stop, and take a moment to realign your body into a more neutral position.
It’s important to stay active and work on your core muscles to maintain good posture. Stretching is also essential, as when your muscles are strained from soreness it’s easy to adjust an unnatural spine position to compensate the discomfort.
Last but not least, getting regular chiropractic adjustments can help maintain good posture. Yes, through chiropractic adjustments, you can have a wider range of motion and better mobility, both critical in maintaining proper posture. Also, your chiropractor can provide you with exercises to improve your posture.
Whenever you’re ready to check on your posture, you can contact your local ChiroCare of Florida office to schedule your appointment and get your body realigned, so you can feel and look your best.
