Sit up straight and feel better

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/01/2012 (5185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Everywhere I go I see people with poor posture. I can’t help myself. A high shoulder here, a forward head posture there. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a chiropractor and this is what I do for a living, but it seems to be more of a problem now than ever before.

Poor posture is a side effect of our everyday lives. When we are students, we sit at a desk for most of the day, when we get home we sit in front of a computer or TV for the rest of the evening.

Adults do the same. Even if you don’t work at a desk all day, some of our work environments are ergonomic nightmares involving body contortions that would put Cirque Du Soleil to shame.

Other that the obvious cosmetic problems due to a slouched posture, proper posture and spinal alignment are of vital importance when you consider that studies are now showing direct relationships between posture, cardiovascular health and pulmonary function.

In one example, Dr. Rene Cailliet, M.D. found that: “Forward head posture results in loss of vital capacity of the lungs. Lung capacity is depleted by as much as 30%.”

Remember, this head forward posture is not slouching. This is a chronic misalignment of the spine due to repetitive activities that cannot be fixed by merely telling your child to sit up straight at the dinner table.

The reason this doesn’t work is because the large, voluntary control muscles that pull us upright do not determine posture. In actuality, posture is under the direct control of the smaller, involuntary muscles that surround the spine. Since these muscles cannot be adequately strengthened by conventional exercise or stretching, a more specific approach is required.

Chiropractic works really well here. A specific approach to correcting the spinal misalignments that involves gentle adjustments and isometric movements tends to produce that best results, especially in children.

Chiropractors have been properly assessing and treating postural problems for years and in many cases, results can be instant! Parents should especially consider a chiropractic checkup for their children, as they may have not fully grown into their poor posture patterns yet.

Dr. Christian Chatzoglou, D.C. is a chiropractor, writer and natural health expert.