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Poor Posture Equals Poor Health

By Debra Rodzinak

For most people, the term “good posture” refers simply to standing and sitting up straight. However, proper spinal alignment is important for your overall health. 

When the spine and body are properly aligned, your weight is supported by your bones, not your muscles. When your weight is supported by the bones of the body, the effort and strain on the body is reduced, giving you a more energetic feeling and better health. Posture is more than being able to balance a stack of books on your head; it’s about the awareness and connection to every part of your body. 

Problems from Poor Posture

Proper posture is just as important as exercising, eating right, and avoiding harmful substances like drugs and alcohol.  Good posture allows you to have more energy with less stress and fatigue.  Even if you exercise daily, without good posture, you can still cause damage to your spine.

In this modern age, people tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. If you hunch forward over a computer or desk, your neck and back muscles have to take over the job of supporting the body rather than the spine. This can lead to shoulder and back pain, along with headaches. Other maladies can be caused from poor posture such as constantly tense muscles, bone misalignment, increased fatigue, joint stiffness, and overall decreased productivity. According to Dr. Roger Sperry, “the more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism, and healing.”

Chronic muscle tension is due to the weight of the head and upper body being supported by the muscles, not the bones. The muscles become more tense the farther the body’s center of balance is from the proper posture.

Correcting Poor Posture

There are two ways to correct bad posture. First, get rid of the “bad” stress from the body. Any activity, habit, or stressor that causes your body to leave the structural center will place undue pressure on the muscles, not the skeleton. For example, a poorly placed chair at a workstation, carrying a heavy backpack at school, or even an overstuffed purse can cause unneeded stress on the muscles of the body. Being aware of these stressors allows you to change them.

Second, apply “good” stress on your body to allow your center of balance to be more in line with your posture. This can be done by stretching, exercise, changes to your physical environment, and adjustments by a chiropractor. By improving your posture, you will bring your body back to its center of balance and improve the way you not only look, but feel.

If you are interested in having your posture adjusted back to your center of balance, contact the experts at The Joint today! 

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