What is Poor Posture?

“Stand up straight!”, “Pull your shoulders back!” We have all been told to have good posture.   And yet just what is “good posture” ? For example:  We can identify the signs of poor posture by the following: Stiff necks, shoulders hunched forward, restricted breathing, tightness in the thighs, legs and ankles, backaches and headaches.

One of the first indicators and most common signs of poor posture is a slouching or forward head posture. This posture causes a strain on the posterior neck muscles. It also increases pressure on the discs of the spine and can lead to premature arthritis of the neck. There are many causes of this type of posture including car accidents, sports injuries, stress as well as a loss of bone density. 

The key is identifying the problems and then correcting the underlying cause of poor postures.

Analyzing Poor Posture

When analyzing posture we look for changes in the body’s stance.  For example:

• The Outward Turning of One or Both Feet.
• The Alignment of the Knees.
• The Leveling of the Hips or Pelvis.
• The Height Differences Across The Shoulders.
• Tilting of the Head and Neck.
• Forward Tilting Of the Pelvis.
• Forward Head Translation.
• Increase in the Spinal Curvatures.

All of these changes add up to changes in the spine.

Chiropractors are experts at analyzing posture and spinal problems. They are trained in the art of detection. A doctor of chiropractic searches for the problems that exist underneath poor posture. Analyzing spinal curvatures and alignment, the doctor searches for the problems that contribute to the postural pattern.  It has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to correct poor posture.