Proper Posture
One of the best ways to reduce physical stress in your life, is to improve posture. Seems that all of those times our mothers told us to sit up straight really was for our own good!
Posture is the window to the spine and the foundation of the body. We all know the importance of building a solid, balanced bridge. If one of the support beams is built too short, it puts more tension on different cables and can make for a very un-safe bridge. The same is true for your body and skeleton.
If your posture is out of alignment, the spine is out of balance, which puts stress on your nervous system. When stress is placed on the nervous system, all other systems of the body feel the affects and are placed under more stress, too. It is a fact that your posture effects your overall health.
Optimal posture is a vital key to achieving optimal health. Early detection and elimination of subluxations will lead to a healthy nervous system at any stage of life. However, it is important for you to have an active role in your spinal health and overall wellness.
Proper Spinal Posture
From a rear view, your spine should be perfectly straight with each of the 24 spinal bones (called vertebrae) stacked exactly on top of one another.
Looking at the spine from the side you should see three curves. These spinal curves are extremely important to maintain so that the spine can absorb the stresses of everyday life properly and protect the delicate spinal cord, which sends information from your brain to every part of your body.
If you will notice, the curve in the neck almost makes a “C” shape. Keeping the head raised and evenly placed between your shoulders is extremely important in keeping this “C” shape. As posture declines, so does the curvatures of the spine. This results in a significant reduction of blood flow to the brain and places unnecessary stress on certain muscles and joints – wearing them down more quickly. This lays the foundation for degeneration and arthritis in the future.
The mid-back has the opposite curvature. Notice that there is a slight curve, but the head is still positioned over the middle part of the back as well. Often, poor posture at a workstation, sitting on a couch or La-Z-Boy, and even low confidence can begin to increase this curvature and brings the head forward. This places tremendous stress on the spine and muscles. Try holding an 8-lb bowling ball with your wrist flexed forward rather than in a straight line – it’s nearly impossible. The average human head weighs 8-lbs and the spine is responsible for holding it on straight!
The lower back has the same curve as the neck – the “C” shape. This is also a common area for problems and pain because of poor lifestyle habits and posture. Specifically, women tend to have more low back pain because of high heeled shoes that forces this curve in the low back to increase. This places a great deal of stress on the joints and discs of the spine and can cause disc problems if uncorrected. Also, men and women with a little extra weight in the tummy have more back problems than normal. This is because the extra weight in the front, pulls the spine forward and increases this curve again. In some case, more is better – in this case – it definitely is not!
Poor posture can cause the spine to become constantly mis-aligned. Constant subluxations, or mis-alignments, can cause early degeneration and decay, scoliosis, and unnecessary pain. Chiropractic adjustments can restore balance and proper alignment to your spine – but it is your job to work on reducing subluxations out of our office by improving your posture. This is a free, easy fix that will be a very important part of achieving a healthier wellness lifestyle!
If your spine is out of alignment, this can result in early degeneration and decay and subluxations. Chiropractic adjustments can restore balance and proper alignment to your spine.
People who are under regular chiropractic care are among the healthiest people in the world, enjoying far less hospitalizations and medications. Chiropractic treatment is one of the best ways to get well and stay well for life.
Proper posture while you are standing, walking, sitting, and sleeping is extremely important in your health and aging process.
