Common Posture Problems (And How To Fix Them)

It may not seem like such a big deal, but it turns out that more and more medical and healthcare professionals are stressing the importance of maintaining proper posture for a healthier lifestyle. Having the proper posture is especially crucial for anyone who may be experiencing aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, or lower back area, as their poor posture is more than likely one of the main causes of their discomfort.

As more people have started turning to chiropractic care in an effort to treat their back pain in a safe and all natural manner, many doctors of chiropractic have begun noticing the same set of posture problems arise over and over again in many of their patients. I came across an article by Bodi Empowerment that discusses the most common posture problems that many chiropractors see and treat on a daily basis.

I’m happy to share this information with you, and hopefully the exercises and stretches suggested in the article can help you retrain your body into the proper posture. Over time, you should notice a decrease in the amount of stiffness or pain you feel in your neck and back areas.

To find out if you have proper posture, stand in front of a wall, with your back to the wall. Move your feet back so that the heels rest against the area where the floor meets the wall. If your hips, shoulder blades, and back of your head are touching the wall, your postureis solid.

If, however, you get different results, or you find any of the following issues:

• You can fit a fist between your lower back and the wall
• You can’t fit any fingers between your lower back and the wall
• You cannot touch the back of your head to the wall without leaning back

There are very simple stretches you can perform every day to get your posture back into proper alignment. To treat your neck muscles, place both of your hands on your chest and push down below the collarbone. Meanwhile, extend your neck backwards and to the opposite side. Repeat this on the other side, for thirty seconds each repetition. Aim to do each rep three times a day.

Stretch your shoulder muscles by letting one shoulder drop into a relaxed state. From here, bend your neck to the side, away from the relaxed shoulder. Place your corresponding hand on your head and let the weight gently tug it down. Hold this for thirty seconds on both sides, three times a day.

Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Nika Gedevanishvili