The effects of bad posture are many, and can actually be really serious. When people slouch, their heads come forward. Slouching also forces the shoulders to come forward. This leads to jaw pains and headaches, and to shoulder and back pains.
Structural balancing therapy reduces chronic pain and normalizes body posture by selectively loosening tight muscles and connective tissue. At a consultation your posture is observed to get an understanding of your symptoms and concerns.
Muscles move bones, and distortions in posture are a result of muscle imbalance.
When posture is distorted, joints deteriorate prematurely, nerves become compressed, and circulation is impaired. Tissues are deprived of vital nutrients. Chronic pain often results.
In most cases, poor posture results from a combination of several factors, which can include:
- Accidents, injuries and falls
- Poor sleep support (mattress)
- Excessive weight
- Visual or emotional difficulties
- Foot problems or improper shoes
- Weak muscles, muscle imbalance
- Careless sitting, standing, sleeping habits
- Negative self image
- Occupational stress
- Poorly designed work space
Poor Posture & Pain
A lifetime of poor posture can start a progression of symptoms in the average adult. Starts with …
Fatigue – your muscles have to work hard just to hold you up if you have poor posture. You waste energy just moving, leaving you without the extra energy you need to feel good.
Tight, achy muscles in the neck, back, arms and legs – by this stage, there may be a change in your muscles and ligaments and you may have a stiff, tight painful feeling. More than 80% of the neck and back problems are the result of tight, achy muscles brought on by years of bad posture.
Joint stiffness and pain – at risk for “wear and tear” arthritis, or what is termed degenerative osteoarthritis. Poor posture and limited mobility increase the likelihood of this condition in later years.
Structural balance restores you to a healthy posture and reduce pain.
The Self-Test: Are You Crossed Up?
Place two fingers at the top of your right shoulder and feel for a bony notch that pro- -trudes from it. That’s your acromion. Now grab a ruler and lie on your back on the floor, your right arm resting alongside your body. With your left hand, measure the distance from your right acromion to the floor, being careful not to raise or lower your right shoulder as you do so. If the distance is more than 1 inch, you have upper-cross syndrome.
Want a second opinion? Ask a friend to take a digital picture of you — shirtless — from the side. Stand tall, but in a relaxed position, the way you would if you weren’t thinking about your posture. Check to see if the middle of your ear is in line with the middle of your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you can’t draw a straight line through these points, then you’ve just been diagnosed — again.
Your Posture
Be brutally honest about your posture. You may think it’s pretty good, but if you are having neck-and-shoulder pain, headaches, issues with arms and hands, or if a bump is forming at the base of your neck, something needs to change.
Question? Is maintaining your posture as simple as sitting up straight or shoulders back to avoid pain and discomfort? In reality, it isn’t for example you can’t lose weight without exercise or dieting if you don’t do the latter you won’t lose weight or have lasting changes. By correcting poor (faulty) posture, you can improve overall health.
Consider our treatment options all apply a powerful combination of restructuring posture and realigning the joints to restore full range of motion.
To protect joints from stress, pain and possible deformity, your body must be balanced by good posture. Posture is affected by muscles and those muscles need to be released it may be time to seek additional help.
It takes listening to our body, diligent work, honesty and patience to address postural issues and habits. The more we can help our clients maintain their posture on a daily basis, the more we will be able to help them with our body work.
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