How Chiropractic Can Help Posture
Your posture is the position in which you hold your body, whether sitting, standing, walking or laying down. A healthy posture means that your body is aligned and supported by the right muscles against gravity. When your posture is poor, you may experience back or neck pain which can lead to other symptoms such as persistent headaches but more crucially, permanent damage to your spine. Learning to strengthen your postural muscles and proper ergonomics through a chiropractor can greatly reduce your risk of injury.
Why is posture important?
You may not know it, but our hamstrings and back muscles are what maintain our posture for us so it’s important to keep these muscles healthy and strong. Our posture is what helps us to walk, stand, sit and even lay down without putting strain on other supporting muscles. A correct posture can also help keep our bones and joints aligned, reducing our risk of degenerative arthritis and joint pain from abnormal wearing. Posture also reduces the stress of the spinal joints and ligaments altogether which minimises our risk of injury, allows our muscles to work more efficiently by using less energy and preventing muscle fatigue.
The most common causes of poor posture include stress and pregnancy as well as weak or tight muscles. Additionally, a poor working posture from unhealthy sitting or standing habits contribute heavily to a diminished posture.
How can I improve my posture?
It’s important to see one of our chiropractors at Gonnet Chiropractic to find the underlying cause of your poor posture, however, there are some lifestyle adjustments you can make at home to start correcting your posture today. In addition to these, our team may recommend some exercises that will strengthen your core postural muscles and help you determine better postures to hold during work or recreational activities that will reduce your risk of injury.
To start improving your posture now, try the below ergonomic considerations:
- While sitting at a desk, whether for work or recreation, keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest with your ankles directly in front of your knees. This means no crossed legs. Keep a small gap between your chair and the front of your knees and ensure your knees are at or below the level of your hips. Adjust your seat’s backrest so that it supports your lower and mid back or invest in a back support. Relax your shoulder and keep your forearms parallel to the ground. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
- When standing, bear your weight in the balls of your feet and keep them shoulder-width apart. If you’re standing for long periods, you can shift your weight from your heels to your toes or one foot to the other. Keep your knees slightly bent and let your arms hang natural beside your body. Pull your shoulder down and backward, tuck your stomach in and keep your head level.
- When sleeping it’s important to find a mattress that’s right for you. Firm mattresses give more support, however soft mattress may reduce back pain – it’s different for each individual. Pillow softness is also important with specially made pillows available to help with postural problems. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees.
Contact Gonnet Chiropractic
Gonnet Chiropractic can help improve your posture which, in turn, will give you more flexibility, range of motion and a better lifestyle in general without the pain and stress. For more information about how chiropractic can help improve posture, please get in touch with our team today on (07) 3886 4300.