What are common posture problems?
Your posture is much more than how you stand or how you look in the mirror. Your posture is one of the most important indicators of your health as it is a reflection of the health and alignment of your spine.
While there is no “perfect” posture, good posture is typically represented by alignment through the ear, pelvis, and ankle with your midline (or plumb line). Other bad postures include:
Forward head posture
When your head is positioned with your ears in front of the vertical midline of the body. Other names for this are “Text Neck” due to the bad habit of looking down at the mobile phone while texting.
Kyphosis
This refers to an exaggerated curvature of your thoracic spine (upper back) where the shoulders are rounded forward.
Swayback or Hyperlordosis
This happens when your hips and pelvis tilts forward in front of the midline. In this position, you will usually notice an inward curvature of the lower back and you might look like you’re leaning back when standing up.
Bad posture creates excessive strain on the spine and to cope with the extra pressure, your muscles are in constant contraction. Long term postural dysfunction restricts movement of your ribs and ability to breathe deeply.
Can you fix bad posture?
The first step to fixing bad posture is to correct bad habits which cause bad posture. This includes setting up a proper work station so that you don’t look down while working, and looking forward when using your mobile phone. Common things like crossing your legs while sitting, leaning to one side while queueing can all add up to bad posture.
Being conscious about your posture on a daily basis and making adjustments to correct them will help. It is then important to stretch highly contracted muscles and subsequently build up postural muscle strength to hold up proper posture.
Can a chiropractor and chiropractic adjustments help posture?
While being more conscious and strengthening muscles can help with bad posture, long term bad habits that result in spinal misalignments require a chiropractor to help address.
Addressing long-term postural dysfunction is a main focus of chiropractic adjustments. Regular chiropractic adjustments can greatly decrease the pain from bad posture, allowing you to strengthen your muscles through stretches and exercise and in turn mitigate the negative effects of bad posture.
Are there before and after posture photos after seeing a chiropractor?
We’ve helped many manage their postural-related pain. For example, one of our practice members who is above 60 years old had great improvements in his posture after coming for regular chiropractic adjustments and adhering to a tailored exercise and stretch plan for a few months.
It is never too late to start improving your posture!
Before
After
What are exercises to improve posture?
The type of exercises depends on the type of bad posture you suffer from. Some exercises that target typical bad postures such as forward head neck posture and rounded shoulders include:
- Chin tuck
- Cat Cow positions
- Seated rotation
Do you have tips on how to sit properly for good posture?
When sitting down for work or studying, it is important that you aren’t constantly looking down at the screen or book. Set up your workstation such that the middle of your monitor is at your eye level, and your arms rest on the table so that your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
Your feet should also be flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Investing in a good ergonomic chair which provides adequate lumbar and neck support can greatly help in holding a proper sitting posture.
When should I see the chiropractor for bad posture?
If you have tried to do exercises and stretches but find that your posture is not improving, it could be a sign that your spine is misaligned. In that case, it would be best to see a chiropractor to understand your condition.
At Chiropractic Singapore, our chiropractors are trained to diagnose and address bad posture, and recommend if and how chiropractic can help.
Note: The above information is not a substitute for a diagnosis or any form of medical care. Symptoms and treatments differ from person to person, and one should consult a chiropractor for an accurate diagnosis and recommendation.
