Poor Posture in Dulwich Hill
Feeling like you’re always slumped over a desk? Or that you’re starting to get neck pain from constantly looking at a smartphone? Luckily, postural correction is one of the things chiropractic care is best known for. At My Back Relief Clinic, we are experts in identifying the underlying reasons for poor posture, as well as developing care plans and giving advice to best combat bad posture.
Causes of Bad Posture
Poor posture commonly arises from the modern sedentary lifestyle most people lead. That is, spending the majority of the day sitting down in front of a computer, over a desk or looking down at our phones.
However, there are cases where people have bad posture because of underlying conditions.
One that can present often to a chiropractic clinic is Scheuermann’s disease, which involves the abnormal development of the vertebral bones of the spine. This condition is estimated to occur in as many as 8% of the population, which is around 1 in 10 people and usually starts during early teenage-hood. One of the most common ways to identify the condition is through X-rays.
Effects of Bad Posture
Poor posture can affect people in several different ways, usually based on an individual’s unique pain threshold and the severity of their posture problem. Some common symptoms include:
- Headaches—Bad posture usually involves the head far forward from the body’s natural centre of gravity. This causes a lot of tension on the neck muscles resulting in tension headaches.
- Shortness of breath—A hyperkyphotic/slumped posture automatically decreases the volume of air your lungs can inhale.
- Shoulder pain—A slumped over posture inevitably causes your shoulders to roll forward. This can put extra strain on the muscles and ligaments of the shoulders.
- Back pain—Sitting down for long periods of time can cause excessive force on the intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments and muscles of the low back.
In addition, posture may be a factor in some cases of jaw pain (TMJ pain).
Posture Correction
Tips to improve your general posture include:
- Remember the counter-pose or curve reversal; e.g. if you hunch over your desk all day, do a stretch back the other way.
- Stretch several times per week to increase flexibility.
- Exercise regularly, as it boosts muscle strength and tone.
- Good exercises to include are those ones that stretch and strengthen your neck, lower back and abdominal muscles.
- Avoid standing on one foot or with your weight on one hip, instead stand flat footed with weight evenly distributed down both legs.
It’s important to remember that poor posture can lead to back pain, spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, hunched back and a potbelly. Chiropractic care may help by providing adjustments, mobilisations and ergonomic advice. In addition, you can improve your posture through regular exercise and stretching, and a better home/office ergonomic setup.
Chiropractic for Posture
At My Back Relief Clinic, we take the time to determine the root cause of your postural issue. We start with a comprehensive history and examination, and we may refer for X-rays if deemed necessary. We implement multiple tools such as chiropractic adjustments, rehabilitation and ergonomic strategies to properly address your unique postural situation.
Posture FAQs
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