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What Causes Your Posture To Deteriorate Over Time?

Posture isn’t just about standing up straight to look your best. This often-overlooked aspect of your physical condition is a critical part of overall health and wellbeing. A deterioration in your posture can lead to discomfort, pain, and even chronic health issues.

Understanding what leads to poor posture and how to address it is crucial for maintaining a healthy, pain-free life.

In this article, we explain what good posture is, how it benefits you, what causes your posture to deteriorate, and how chiropractic care can help you maintain good posture.

What Is Good Posture?

Good posture refers to the proper alignment of the body while standing, sitting, or lying down. When posture is optimal, the muscles and ligaments supporting your spine and body work efficiently, helping you move with ease and avoid unnecessary strain.

Maintaining the natural curves of your spine is particularly important. Additionally, optimal posture requires that you maintain your head directly above your shoulders, your shoulders over your hips, and your hips over your feet.

Important Structures That Support The Body And Help Maintain Posture

  • Spine: The spine is the central support structure of the body, and a well-aligned spine helps distribute body weight evenly. A healthy spine has three natural curves, and these should be maintained for good posture.
  • Neck: The cervical spine region (neck) plays a crucial role in supporting the head and facilitating its movement. Proper neck alignment helps reduce tension in the upper back and shoulders and maintains the positioning of the head over the spine.
  • Back Muscles: The muscles of the back, particularly the erector spinae group, help hold the spine upright, keeping it aligned and supporting overall posture. Weak or imbalanced back muscles contribute to slouching or poor postural habits.
  • Abdominal Wall: The abdominal muscles play a critical role in supporting the spine and pelvis, helping to maintain proper posture. A strong core also helps keep the body balanced during movement.
  • Shoulders: The shoulders help stabilise the upper body and should be relaxed and symmetrical to avoid strain.
  • Hips: Hip alignment affects spinal curvature, lower back alignment, and leg positioning. Misaligned hips can induce compensatory patterns in the spine and legs, leading to pain and postural issues.

The Benefits Of Maintaining A Good Posture

Maintaining good posture is essential for your health and functionality. Here’s how good posture benefits you:

  • Improved Health
  • Improved Coordination
  • Increased Strength
  • Increased Stamina
  • Prevents Abnormal Wear On Joints
  • Maintains Spinal Alignment
  • Prevents Back Pain
  • Improved Appearance

Poor Posture

Poor posture occurs when the body’s natural alignment is disrupted, causing excessive strain on muscles and joints (In A Slump: Fix Your Posture).

Poor posture may start with something as simple as hunching over a desk or slouching on the couch, but it can have serious long-term consequences (3 Surprising Risks Of Consequences Posture).

Symptoms Of Poor Posture

The symptoms of poor posture can range from mild to severe. They include:

  • Chronic Pain (especially in the back, neck, and shoulder regions)
  • Muscle Tension
  • Headaches (from tight muscles in the neck and shoulders)
  • Rounded Shoulders
  • A forward Head Position
  • Fatigue (muscles are overworked trying to compensate for poor alignment)

Common Causes Of Poor Posture

The common causes of poor posture are outlined below.

  • Use Of Technology: The frequent use of smartphones, laptops, and computers often leads to forward head posture and rounded shoulders, known as “tech neck”.
  • A Muscle Imbalance: Imbalances between opposing muscle groups can lead to poor posture.
  • Injury: Past injuries, especially to the back or neck, can evoke compensatory movements and postures that eventually become habits.
  • Poor Footwear: Shoes with inadequate support, such as high heels or flip-flops, can alter your gait, and your spinal alignment, and contribute to poor posture.
  • Poor Sleeping Support: Over time, unsupportive mattresses or pillows can cause misalignments in the spine, leading to poor posture.
  • A Sedentary Lifestyle: Sitting for extended periods, especially with poor ergonomics, can lead to poor posture and back pain.
  • Stress And Anxiety: High-stress levels can cause muscle tension, especially in the shoulders and neck, leading to poor posture.
  • Being Overweight: Excess weight puts additional strain on your back and can alter posture through compensatory movements.
  • Occupational Stress: Jobs that require repetitive movements or prolonged sitting or standing can lead to posture problems if proper ergonomics aren’t maintained.

How To Improve Poor Posture

There are several things we can do to maintain a good posture (How To Improve Your Posture).

  • Exercise regularly
  • Use your knees when lifting heavy objects
  • Wear flat, well-fitting shoes
  • Use an ergonomic desk chair
  • Sleep on a mattress that supports your body

Chiropractic Care For Poor Posture

Chiropractic care can be an effective solution for identifying and addressing poor posture. At Ocean City, we routinely use ‘Digital posture analysis’ to assess patient posture before and after treatment.

The results obtained for several of our patients can be viewed HERE (with their kind permission).

How Does A Chiropractor Assess Posture?

A chiropractor will typically perform the following evaluations:

  • Stance: An assessment of how you stand and your weight distribution to identify imbalances.
  • Gait: An assessment of how you walk, looking for signs of asymmetry or dysfunction. This can provide clues about muscle imbalances and underlying structural problems.
  • Knee Alignment: A check for issues with knee alignment, which may indicate postural problems.
  • Hip Level: An assessment of the height and position of your hips to check they are even, as misaligned hips can lead to back problems.
  • Shoulder Height: A check for uneven shoulders, a common sign of muscle imbalances and poor posture.
  • Head And Neck Posture: An assessment of forward head posture, a major indicator of poor posture.
  • Pelvic Tilt: An assessment of pelvic tilt. A misaligned pelvis is a common cause of lower back pain and poor posture.

How Does A Chiropractor Treat Poor Posture?

  • Spinal Adjustments: Gentle chiropractic adjustments can correct spinal misalignments and improve posture.
  • Soft Tissue Techniques: Massage and other soft tissue techniques can relieve muscle tension, promote balance, and improve posture.
  • Exercises: Strengthening exercises and stretches are prescribed to help improve posture and muscle function. Exercises like “The Wall Angel Exercise” are especially useful.
  • Education: Chiropractors can provide guidance on maintaining proper posture during daily activities and ergonomic advice for workstations.

Thoracic Hyperkyphosis or “Hunchback”

Background

Some degree of forward curvature (“kyphosis”) in the thoracic spine is normal (Kyphosis). An exaggerated forward curve of the upper back is called Thoracic Hyperkyphosis (often confusingly shortened to just kyphosis) (Kyphosis).

The main types are postural hyperkyphosis, Scheuermann’s syndrome, congenital hyperkyphosis, and age-related hyperkyphosis (Age-Related Hyperkyphosis). The latter is often referred to as Dowager’s hump (or a gibbus deformity).

Symptoms

  • A hunched appearance
  • A forward leaning head
  • Excessively curved thoracic spine
  • Pain in the neck, shoulder, and back
  • Tight Chest Muscles
  • Weakened muscles in the upper back

Treatment

  • Adjustments to restore spinal mobility and function.
  • Correction of muscle imbalances using the “mirror image” technique to restore your normal posture.
  • A personalised exercise regime to combat the progression of a hunchback posture.

Scoliosis

Background

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that often develops during adolescence (Scoliosis). It can cause uneven shoulders, hip problems, and imbalances in posture. In severe cases, scoliosis can lead to chronic pain.

In some cases, scoliosis is caused by a disease, injury, or birth defect, and is permanent (Structural Scoliosis). However, some of the symptoms may still be treated. In non-structural cases, the curvature is temporary and can be fixed by treatment.

Symptoms

  • An abnormal Posture
  • Back pain
  • One shoulder blade higher than (or sticking out more than) the other
  • A rotating spine
  • Breathing problems
  • A head that isn’t centred
  • Uneven hips

Treatment.

  • Chiropractic adjustments to increase range of motion and relieve back pain.
  • Spinal decompression to stretch the vertebrae and provide relief for pinched nerves.
  • Soft tissue therapies (massage or myofascial release) to help address musculoskeletal imbalances.
  • Therapeutic exercises to improve posture.

Lumbar Hyperlordosis

Background

An excessive inward curve of the lower back (or “Swayback” posture), is commonly seen in individuals with weak core muscles or those who frequently wear high heels (Swayback Posture). It often leads to lower back pain and an increased risk of injury.

Symptoms

  • An exaggerated spinal curve
  • A forward head posture
  • Forward rotation of the pelvis
  • Lower back pain
  • Difficulty moving

Treatment

  • Chiropractic adjustments to reduce excessive curvature.
  • Postural training to alleviate pressure on the lower back.
  • A customised orthopaedic brace.
  • Targeted exercises to reduce neck pain and back pain.

Conclusion: What Causes Your Posture To Deteriorate Over Time?

Many factors contribute to the deterioration of posture over time, from poor habits and injuries to the natural ageing process.

By understanding the causes of poor posture and taking proactive measures, like exercising and seeking chiropractic care, you can maintain good posture as you age.

Remember, good posture is key to a healthy, pain-free life!

Dane Jacks

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