Posture and Your Health

By Doctor Paul Calladine (Chiro) - Drummoyne

(02) 9819 6182

I have to tell you....your mum was right when she told you to sit up straight! Good posture starts with good habits however simply sitting up straight is not enough. As a chiropractor, all too often I witness the horrible health problems that come with poor posture. Many of the conditions I adjust patients for today are preventable. Things such as back pain, forward head posture, headaches, reduced lung capacity from hunched posture, rounded shoulders and a lot more.

In this blog post I want to share with you my top 5 health benefits of good posture. Your posture, the way you hold your body when sitting or standing, is the foundation for every movement your body makes. If your posture isn't optimal, your muscles have to work harder to keep you balanced. Some muscles will fatigue and become weak, others will tighten and further pull your body into a crooked position. At the end of this article is a great video for you to watch which summarises the benefits of good posture.

If you know someone who suffers from poor posture and associated health complaints, please share this page with them.

Whether you're at a meeting, an interview, attending a function or large party, the confidence that comes with 'power' postures or poses is unmatched. Healthy, upright posture makes you look and feel strong and does wonders for your confidence.

Furthermore, recent research coming from Ohio State University found that body posture affects confidence in our own thoughts. Specifically, people who were told to sit up with straight posture were more likely to believe in what they wrote down (such as being qualified for a job) while in that positive posture.

Next time you're going into a meeting or a higher stress situation, strike a positive pose and see how it affects your confidence and performance.

An important chiropractic principle is that structure governs function, meaning if your posture is crooked on the outside chances are your spine is crooked on the inside. Poor posture puts extra pressure and stress on spinal joints and discs resulting in problems such as:

• localised inflammation
• back pain
• nerve interference
• restriction of movement
• tight muscles
• over time, disc degeneration

Chiropractic care works to identify and correct spinal misalignments and in doing so, alleviates some of the associated problems such as those just mentioned.

Whether you're an Olympic level athlete or simply enjoy a short run around the local park, posture plays an extremely important role in how your body functions. A good, strong posture is one that has natural alignment of the head, shoulders, hips and ankles. Any shift away from this norm changes the biomechanics of the body and performance levels are reduced.

Incorrect posture can alter the natural curves of the spinal structure resulting in different stresses by changing the center of gravity. This change in biomechanics can restrict free movement and lead to injury.

The healthiest sleeping positions are those that maintain the curve in the lower back. Sleeping on your back or on your side with your knees slightly bent are optimal. Also, your pillow should be firm enough to support your head and neck in a neutral position without: 1) pushing your head forward and 2) your hands propping your head up. Consider a chiropractic pillow which has a supportive curve to maintain and support the natural neck curve while resting. There are several sleep tips you could try as well.

If you have trouble sleeping, sleep on your stomach or can't sleep on your back, these are signs you may have an underlying structural issue that needs attention. Curvature of the spine, pelvic tilts, spinal misalignments and lumbar lordosis or hyperlordosis affect sleep postures.

There are surprising and powerful links between posture and mood. Walking with a slouched or despondent body posture can lead to feelings of sadness and depression whereas walking with a body posture that is upright can improve mood and energy levels.

In a recent article published in the Biofeedback Journal, Professor of Health Education at San Francisco State University, Erik Peper, found that simply choosing to alter body posture to a more upright position can improve mood and energy levels.

"We tend to think the brain and body relationship goes one way. In fact, the passages go both ways," Peper said. "When you choose to put your body in a different mode, it's harder to drop into depression."

It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.
—Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity

Check out my posture tips while gardening to help you minimise back pain and injury. Or, if you have trouble sleeping your posture may be affecting your sleep.

If you have poor posture, feelings of pain (back pain, neck pain, hip pain) and irritability can be common. This is your body telling you something is not right. Listen to these warning signs and make positive change to correct your posture. Manual therapies such as chiropractic are great at addressing underlying structural issues and correcting spinal misalignments.

Please feel free to share this page with someone you know who needs a helping hand when it comes to their posture and health. At Lyons Road Family Chiro we know good posture. If you would like to learn more about your posture and how chiropractic may help, please give us a call today. Located in the Inner West Sydney suburb of Drummoyne, we have over 24 years experience in helping patients improve their posture.

References

• Ohio State University. "Body Posture Affects Confidence In Your Own Thoughts, Study Finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2009.
• Erik Peper, PhD, and I-Mei Lin, PhD 2012. 'Increase or decrease depression: How body postures influence your energy levels.' Biofeedback Volume 40, Issue 3, pp. 125-130.