Why Posture is a Window to your Health

Wouldn’t it be eye opening if we could peek inside our bodies to see what is going on? To have the ability to look around, assess our joints, our muscles, and see if everything is working right. Well, today technology is getting pretty close- MRI’s, CT Scans, ultrasounds- all give us a “picture” in black and white of what is going on with regards to structure.

One way to assess yourself at home is to look at your posture. How you stand, sit, walk, and present yourself to the world.

To start; what is good posture? If you look at somebody from the front, their shoulders should be aligned, hips should be aligned, ears should be level. If you look at somebody from the side, the ear should be in line with the shoulder, in line with the hip, and the lateral knee and the lateral ankle.

When you stand, do you always lean to one side? When you sit, do you always slouch? When you drive, do you always lean to the right, putting your elbow on the console? When you sleep do you always tilt your head to one side?

All of these habits will cause your spine to shift. Think about it. A mom who always carries her kids on her left hip may find that after six months, that hip is now higher than the other because over the months she was constantly hiking that hip higher to hold her son or daughter. Now, after doing this hour after hour and day after day, her pelvis and spine have gotten used to this position and have shifted permanently.

What bad postures do you find yourself in day after day?

Remember that the same posture over time will cause the spine and/or pelvis to shift. If things shift out of the normal alignment, as described above, then we can get nerve pressure.

Poor posture can increase muscle tension and spasms. It can cause firing of one side of the muscles more than others. If some muscles have to work harder than others, it creates pain and stiffness. One thing you can do is to get your feet checked by the chiropractor. A custom made shoe orthotic can also make a big difference. Differences in the arches of your feet can create imbalance. This plays a big role in the kinetic chain of your body. Problems in the feet lead to more stress in the knees- which in turn can lead to hip problems. The chiropractor can also notice if your feet have excessive flare in one foot more than the other. Normal posture means that the feet should only have a small amount of flare. Finally, are you flat footed? This condition is known as excessive pronation. It can cause a postural imbalance causing one hip to be higher than the other- usually more on one side than the other. It can produce small twisting motions in the hips and knees which may be one reason why you have stiffness in one hip or one knee versus the other.

Having good posture means you can smile and be pain free when you look through the window to see your spine. You’ll have better joint mobility, prevent injuries from taking place, have better balance and overall wellness.

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Neck Pain Support Blog: Why Posture is a Window to your Health
Feb 10, 2009 ... End Neck Pain by Improving Posture- How Proper Posture Improves Your Spine Relieving Nerve Pressure- How does posture have anything to do ...
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Back and Neck Pain

Posture Matters
by Bert Bednar, DPT
Remember when your mom would tell you to sit up straight or walk with your head up and shoulders back? Once again, your mother was right. Posture does matter. In fact, we all know it's better to use good posture. So why do we still slouch? Research has proven that poor posture contributes to back and neck pain. Sitting in a poor posture can contribute to other aspects of your health including eye strain, headaches, shoulder pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Posture Affects Pain
Painful, and potentially disabling, conditions can insidiously develop as a direct result of poor sitting or standing posture, improper lifting mechanics and working habits, or begin with unrelated injuries that are then made worse by poor ergonomics.
When you deviate from normal anatomic posture, unnecessary stress and strain are placed on the normal curves of your spine causing these curves to slowly change. Over time these minor alternations make your spine more vulnerable to injury. For this reason, utilizing the principles of your best posture is critical to keeping stress and strain as low as possible. This will decrease injury to your spinal discs, decrease unnecessary muscle strain, prevent muscular imbalances, as well as protect small joints within your spine (facets) and supporting structures. Common outcomes of poor posture results in rounded shoulders, flat back, forward head positioning, improper muscular tension, and upper and lower back pain.
Proper posture is achieved by understanding the principles of appropriate seated and standing positioning along with proper flexibility, muscle strength and self-discipline. Let's discuss the best posture for standing, sitting, lying down and the importance of positional changes.

Standing Posture
Did you know that a bending forward posture can contribute to increased degenerative disc wear? To protect from disc wear and tear, it's best to utilize proper standing posture as much as your own body stance will allow. Although pathology can prevent you from achieving ideal alignment, adhering to the principles of proper posture can still help you attain your best and prevent the worsening of many conditions.
Picture an imaginary line from your ear to your shoulder to your hip to your ankle. With perfect posture, this imaginary line would align perfectly with these joints. Proper standing posture also includes holding your head up, looking forward with your shoulders held back and your chest out. Maintaining this posture provides for equal and well-distributed weight-bearing on the spinal discs, which allows the back muscles to be in a balanced position and decrease undue stress on the small facet joints and ligaments of the spine. Reducing these stresses will decrease pain and help to prevent injury.
To maintain your best posture, it's important to check yourself periodically as to how you are standing. Initially it will seem awkward; however, it becomes easier as your muscles get used to your new posture.

Sitting Posture
Slumping in a chair will overstretch and fatigue muscles. This posture can lead to injury resulting in severe neck and back pain.
When seated, sit back in your chair as far as possible. Your buttocks should be at the end of the chair to maintain a straight back with a normal low back (lumbar) curve. While seated, good posture is achieved by looking forward, keeping your shoulders pulled back and your spine up against the back of your chair. Select your chair height so your feet can be placed flat on the floor. If your chair is too high for your feet to reach the ground, use a small foot stool.
Keep your work close to you. Whenever possible, position your work so your arms do not extend past your chest. Adjust your chair's arm rests so that your elbows can be supported. Get in the habit of working while your elbows are on your arm rests. If you are able to implement these principles correctly your body position should promote a right angle at your elbows, hips, and knees.
It is important to take frequent breaks from sitting. Even maintaining proper seated posture can eventually be hard on spinal structures. Getting up and stretching periodically will help to keep tension from mounting to an unsafe level in your spinal muscles. Proper upper back and core strength will make achieving proper posture feel more natural.

Lying Posture
Proper lying posture varies far more than seated and standing postures. Generally accepted guidelines include a mattress which supports bony prominences and keeps you in proper alignment whether you are lying on your back, side or abdomen. If you rest on your side, a pillow placed between your knees will decrease strain on your lower back. Supporting the natural spinal curve of your neck is also important. A good rule of thumb is to find a position that is comfortable. If you are lying in a position resulting in unnecessary strain on your muscles and joints you will have difficulty sleeping and typically awaken stiff or sore. Remember good alignment is hardly ever achieved when reading in bed. Comfort should be your guide when you select an appropriate mattress or pillow. Getting restful sleep can depend on using appropriate principles for lying on your back, side or abdomen.

Changing Positions
Change your position frequently during prolonged activities. If you have been sitting for awhile, stand and stretch your back into a straight or neutral position. If you are standing and working overhead, bend your back forward periodically to give your back a break.
Most of us can relate to having a work day that involves lifting, reaching, typing, or driving. Most of us maintain a forward rounded position while performing many of these tasks. After keeping this posture for hours per day, over the span of weeks, months and years, our body tends to adapt to this sustained position. This results in a flexed forward or rounded shoulder position. Incorporating proper postural and core strengthening as well as neck, trunk, arm and leg stretches into your daily schedule can help to prevent you from developing a rounded posture and resulting pain.

Posture is Only One Aspect of Maintaining Functionality as We Age
Everyone performs "work" or tasks daily and many believe the work or task is sufficient to sustain musculoskeletal health. Unfortunately as we grow older, this is less often the case. To insure continued strength, flexibility and endurance, it is best to incorporate activities that accomplish three important exercise types: 1) Stretch muscle groups to reduce risk of injury and maintain flexibility, 2) Perform strengthening exercises for shoulders, upper back, low back, abdomen and legs to help decrease stress and protect your joints 3) Engage in endurance activities to maintain a healthy heart muscle and pulmonary function. Regularly-scheduled exercises that address these important aspects of body maintenance become more critical as we age. Since our body eventually will break down when not supported and maintained properly, use exercise, posture and ergonomic principles to maintain and enjoy body health for life.

Back and Neck Pain - Posture Matters

Research has proven that poor posture contributes to back and neck pain. Sitting in a poor posture can contribute to other aspects of your health including ...
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Fixing Bad Posture & Neck Pain

Fixing Bad Posture & Neck Pain
The first step to easing neck pain is correcting bad neck posture. Consider how you carry your head. Do you lean it forward? If so, you're adding extra stress on your neck, as your head's weight is increased by 10 pounds for every inch your head goes forward (see Resources). Therefore, if you lean forward by only 2 inches, you're adding 20 extra pounds of head weight to your neck. Even worse, whenever spinal tissues are subjected to excessive pressure, they can deform and remodel, causing permanent changes. That's why it takes time to correct the problem.
Neck exercises geared for better neck control are a good way to begin correcting neck muscles, which have grown weak. Take breaks from computer work, doing neck exercises. Pulling your head above your shoulders, squeeze your shoulder blades together in the back.
Besides exercises targeted to improve neck pain, other treatments include mental relaxation and meditation, which help relieve tensed muscles, helping you do exercises for correcting posture problems. Some people have found yoga and Pilates effective in strengthening muscles for better posture and improving sore necks. When driving or sitting as a passenger in a car, use a back support pillow. When the back is supported, the head and neck are able to move back over the shoulders.
Choose shoes and backpacks that give good support. For example, avoid high heels, which place pressure on the lower back. Often people suffer from neck problems because of poorly designed and heavy backpacks. Many backpacks are made to force the head to move forward because of too much weight in the back. Ensure that you or your children have properly designed backpacks that distribute weight consistently, avoiding strain that causes bad neck posture and pain.

Fixing Bad Posture & Neck Pain | eHow.com

Fixing Bad Posture & Neck Pain. If you have bad posture, you probably don't think about it. ... Family; Food; Health; Home; Money; Style; More ... Decide the areas where your posture needs the most improvement by asking yourself ...
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Neck Pain Causes

A Personal Account

One doctor I saw suggested I go to a clinic to learn to deal with my pain. I declined. I didn't want to learn to deal with the problem. I wanted to spend my energy finding the cause of my pain and getting rid of it. My root problem wasn't my pain; it was whatever was causing it. To me going to a clinic was accepting defeat, and as long as there were still books to read and people to see, I wasn't out of options.

In the end, it worked. Most of the people I saw and most of the books didn't really help all that much and some even made me worse. But in the end, the rhuematologist, one of the physical therapists and a yoga teacher were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I also found a number of gems among the books. So now I don't have any neck aches anymore at all, after having had the problem for most of my life. It took a lot of time and a lot of money to figure it all out, but in the end my problems were perfectly solvable.

Recommended Book:

Back Care Basics : A Doctor's Gentle Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief

Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief [Paperback]

Mary Pullig Schatz

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(Author), B.K.S. Iyengar (Preface), William Connor (Foreword)

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff Neck pain is a common complaint. Most causes of neck pain aren't serious. Neck muscles can be strained from poor posture — whether it's leaning into your computer at work or hunching over your workbench doing hobbies at home. Wear-and-tear arthritis also is a common cause of neck pain.

But sometimes neck pain can signify something more serious. Seek immediate medical care if you experience: