Today’s typical lifestyle makes it easy to have poor posture. Many spend hours with their heads down texting or looking at social media. We go to work where we sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. Most workstations are not set up correctly to encourage good posture so most of us end up slouching or leaning forward.
Poor posture is one of the leading causes of back pain, and can also affect your mental wellbeing. Studies have shown that individuals who sit with correct posture have more energy, higher self-esteem, and even better moods.
Poor Posture is Bad for Your Spine
Many people don’t realize the detrimental effects poor posture has on the spine. Taking care of your spine is important because the spinal core runs down inside the spine and its nerves exit out to control the function of your organs, muscles, digestive system, and more. Your nervous system is a 2-way communication system letting your brain know what is happening to your body, and delivering directions from the brain to every part of your body. Poor posture creates interference with the nervous system when it changes the biomechanics of the spine.
7 Problems Poor Posture Can Cause
- Headaches:
One symptom of poor posture is forward or anterior head carriage. Forward head position is when the head is too far forward in front of the shoulders when the shoulders are lined up over the hips, instead of being lined up with the shoulders. This is becoming more prevalent due to texting, it is even being called “text neck” because it is so common. When your head is too far forward, increased pressure is placed on the spine and the muscles of the neck as the weight of your head pulls everything forward. This puts pressure on the nerves in the neck creating headaches. Around 95% of all headaches come from subluxations in the neck. - Dizziness/Vertigo:
Forward head position can also cause dizziness by creating dysfunction in the upper vertebrae of the cervical spine (neck). - TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint):
Poor posture can lead to TMJ and other jaw issues. Over time, forward head position will cause a misalignment of the jaw as the muscles and ligaments are stressed. As your head sinks forward your lower jaw tends to drop down and out of alignment. - Neck Pain and Arm Pain:
Poor posture can lead to neck pain from subluxations (misalignments) in the cervical spine, and also create pressure on the nerves (brachial plexus) that exit the spine in the neck and run down the arms. This can cause pain or a tingling sensation in the arms. - Shoulder Pain:
Rounded shoulders are another sign of poor posture. This is another problem caused by the forward head or anterior head carriage. As the head pulls the spine forward, the shoulders rotate internally. This, in turn, weakens the postural muscles of the upper- and mid-back. The internal shoulder rotation leads to shoulder pain and dysfunction. Rounded shoulders also prevent the lungs from expanding to their maximum volume. - Mid-back Pain and Digestive Issues:
Poor posture and rounded shoulders can lead to mid-back pain. Some people already carry a lot of tension there, but when there are subluxations to the vertebrae in the mid-back you can experience more than pain. The nerves that exit the mid-back control (innervate) your digestive organs. Pressure on these nerves can result in problems like indigestion, acid reflux, and heartburn. - Lower Back Pain and Sciatica:
Poor posture, particularly when sitting, can result in your hips tilting forward, which increases the curvature of the lumbar spine (lower back). Stress is placed on both the lower back and the hip joints. Many people have experienced problems standing up straight after hours of sitting. It is common for the stress on the lumbar spine to create subluxations that interfere with the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be felt as lower back pain, pain in the glute muscles, pain running down legs, and numbness and/or tingling down into the toes. Impingement on the nerves in the lumbar spine can cause problems with the reproductive organs, colon, or bladder.
Causes of Poor Posture
Most of the time, the main cause of poor posture is directly related to poor ergonomics and poor habits. Spending hours looking down at your phone or laptop, sitting or standing for long periods at a computer station. Every day we see people walking around like zombies with the head down staring at their phone instead of watching where they are going. Children carrying a poorly fitted backpack, or one that is too heavy, can also experience poor posture.
For some people, poor posture can be caused by structural problems. Maybe one leg is longer than another, their hips may be out of alignment, they could have scoliosis, or been injured in an accident. These types of structural issues should be addressed by your chiropractor to help get you properly aligned. In some cases, custom orthotics can help with your structural alignment.
We have also seen people with poor self-esteem or other psychological conditions such as depression slouching a lot, and adopting poor posture.
Change Your Poor Posture to Good Posture
Your spine needs movement to stay healthy. Sitting too much is the main obstacle to overcome. It is recommended to stand up and move every 30 minutes. This not only provides physical relief but allows your brain the opportunity to refocus on the task at hand.
When you sit, it is important to make sure that your posture is correct. Make sure your chair is at the right height, that your monitor is raised high enough so you are not looking down to view it. Keep pressure off your wrists by having enough space on your desk for your forearms to rest comfortably on the desk in front of your keyboard. Avoid the desks with the lower slide-out keyboards that put major pressure on the wrists and lead to carpal tunnel.
Pay attention to the position of your head. It should be above your shoulders, not in front of them.
Stretching and exercise are important to maintaining your flexibility. Sitting too long makes your muscles and ligaments less flexible. Yoga poses such as the triangle and warrior poses will help with your flexibility and core strength when done properly.
Standing properly is just as important for the health of your spine and good posture as sitting properly is. Your spine is meant to support your weight for a lifetime. When your posture is proper, your spine will carry your weight with ease. Standing straight with your head up, shoulders squared back, and stomach in will help maintain your spine in proper alignment. Stand correctly, with your weight distributed evenly on both feet. Picture a line going straight down from your ear lobes to your ankles. That line should go straight through your shoulders, hips, and knees before reaching your ankles. Make it a point to be aware of your posture and make a conscious effort to stand up straight.
Chiropractic Care and Good Posture
Chiropractic adjustments are important to maintaining proper posture. Your spine needs to be properly aligned to achieve good posture. Dr. Lombardozzi will correct the misalignments to your spine that put pressure on the nerves and interfere with the function of your nervous system. This allows your body to function at its optimum potential.
Years of poor posture will cause subluxations in your spine, as well as physical problems and pain. Dr. Lombardozzi will locate these misalignments (subluxations) and gently adjust them back into proper alignment. HE will also work with you to help you correct any problems you may be having with your posture. Good posture leads to a healthy spine.
If you need help correcting poor posture, or dealing with headaches, back pain, and other issues related to poor posture, please contact Tuckahoe Family Chiropractic at 804.740.3434 or use our appointment form to arrange for a consultation. If you know of others who can benefit from this information on good posture, please share and recommend this article.