Poor posture is an unfortunately a very common problem that we see at Ramar Chiropractic and Rehab very frequently. You may not realize you even have it, but it could affect your life. Educating yourself about poor posture helps you identify and properly correct the problem, possibly with a neck alignment, before it worsens.
Does More Than Hurt Your Appearance
You might think that poor posture only affects your appearance; however, this isn't the case. Poor posture has a greater impact on your life. For instance, you might experience neck, shoulder, or upper back pain from it. It might even cause you to have issues breathing since you're compressing your chest muscles and making it harder for you to inhale deeply, possibly leaving you feeling fatigued regularly.
Includes More Than Just Hunched or Sway Backs
Although having a hunchback, which occurs when your back forms a C-shape starting at the top of your spine, other forms of poor posture can occur. For instance, you may have round shoulders, a condition that arises as a result of sitting with bad posture. Typically, rounded shoulders come from an imbalanced workout regimen or frequently using a computer while sitting with poor posture.
Poor posture also includes having over-pronated feet. Also known as flat feet, this condition occurs when the arches of your feet are flat and cause your ankles to bend improperly.
You might have an anterior pelvic tilt from sitting for prolonged periods of time without stretching, resulting in your thighs moving upwards. Poor posture also includes having a forward head tilt. A cause of a forward head tilt is sitting in a chair for a prolonged amount of time.
Hurts Your Appearance More Than You Think
It's true that some people don't respect you as much if you slouch because it makes you look as if you lack confidence. Poor posture can also make you look heavier than you are. As your posture worsens, you have less room for your internal organs, so they shift downward or outwards, making you look heavier than you are.
Constipation Is Possible
While this may be surprising to some, when you slouch and sit in a curled up position, it places pressure on your intestines, putting you at risk for constipation. This can create several issues beyond being uncomfortable but is easily curable with the right treatment.
Associated with Decreased Mental Clarity
Brain function like concentration, cognitive ability, and memory require an adequate amount of nutrients and oxygen to reach the brain. You limit the amount of nutrients and oxygen that makes it to your brain when you have poor posture.
Where You Sit Matters
Where you sit matters in terms of your posture. Ultimately, when you're at work or relaxing, you want to sit on furniture that allows your feet to rest on the floor comfortably, especially your computer chair.
Schedule an appointment with Ramar Chiropractic and Rehab to help correct your posture today by calling 248-710-3236.