Chiropractic Care Improves Posture

#ThinkChiropractic

Posture & Ergonomics

Poor posture negatively impacts the health and appearance of individuals – back and neck pain, poor circulation, shallow breathing, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, premature aging of the spine and poor self-image.

Chiropractic care, which includes spinal manipulative therapy of the thoracic spine or mid-back area, teamed with stretching and strengthening exercises improves overall posture including a condition known as postural kyphosis.

Thoracic kyphosis is an increase in the normal thoracic curvature of the spine. Postural kyphosis most commonly presents due to a number of factors, such as:

• Sitting with slouched posture
• Texting
• Carrying heavy bags or backpacks
• Watching television
• Breast development leading to insecurity, which causes shoulder protraction
• Heavy manual work
• Fashion trends – wearing high heels

Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) - who receive a minimum of seven years of higher education – are primary care professionals for spinal health and well-being.

Spinal manipulative therapy increases joint mobility and has shown to improve muscle function, improve movement and flexibility by decreasing hypertonicity or tightness in the muscles and alter the tone of the muscle.

About the Study

Materials and Methods

Thirty female participants between 20 and 39 years old were recruited for this study because most cases of postural kyphosis occur in females. The women were broken into three groups – Group 1 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments; Group 2 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments as well as stretch and strengthening exercises; Group 3 received stretch and strengthening exercises only.

Methodology

Group 1 received treatment once a week for 6 weeks. Groups 2 and 3 received three treatments a week for six weeks. Postural advice on how to sit and stand correctly was given to all three groups.

Results

All three groups had a significant improvement in their posture, however Group 2’s treatment protocol, consisting of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine in combination with stretch and strengthening exercises, yield the best results. Group 2 decreased the postural kyphosis or curvature of the spine.

Source:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306422936_Chiropractic_manipulative_therapy_of_the_thoracic_spine_in_combination_with_stretch_and_strengthening_exercises_in_improving_postural_kyphosis_in_woman

Chiropractic care at on-site health clinics

#ThinkChiropractic

Companies that offer chiropractic care at their on-site health clinics lower their costs, have greater productivity and increased employee satisfaction.

Poor Posture Leads to Back & Neck Pain

The Health Benefits of Good Posture

F4CP

Good posture is the position which is attained when the joints are biomechanically sound and able to move in the direction they are designed to and the spine is aligned. Maintaining good posture involves learning how to train your body to move and function where the least strain is placed on bones, joints and soft tissues. Additionally, a body that is in equilibrium will attain its alignment and continue proper mobility.

Benefits of Good Posture

Posture Checklist

Training your body to sit upright can be a challenge. Follow this posture checklist to learn the proper way to sit with good posture:

Ø  Keep a straight back, maintaining all three natural curves in the spine

Ø  Distribute weight evenly on both hips

Ø  Keep head and neck aligned over shoulders

Ø  Sit back in a chair – the back should be supported by the seat back

Ø  Adjust chair so that the hips are slightly higher than the knee

Ø  Support feet on the floor or a footrest

Ø  Avoid being seated for long periods of time; move around at least once every hour

Ø  Do not twist or bend back from a seated position

Good Posture: What can it do for you?

There are many health benefits associated with having good posture, such as a spike in self-esteem and self-image, reduced negative mood and increase in positivity!

Good posture can:

Ø  Optimize breathing and circulation

Ø  Maintain bones and joints in correct alignment so muscles are used properly and efficiently

Ø  Reduce or prevent abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in degenerative diseases (Example: Arthritis)

Ø  Decrease stress on soft tissues: ligaments, muscles, tendons, discs

Ø  Prevent the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions

Ø  Prevent fatigue, including muscle fatigue

Ø  Prevent postural strain or overuse

Ø  Prevent neck or back pain

Ø  Contribute to a healthy image or appearance

Start today! Practice makes permanent, so practice great posture throughout your day.

Alexis Lignos

Marketing Director

Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

201-641-1911 x 52

alexis@f4cp.com

www.f4cp.com 

Sources: http://ergonomics.ucr.edu/posture.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25222091

Dangers of Forward Head Posture

Neutral posture is observed when a plumb line passes through the center of the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and just in front of the ankle (Illustration - LEFT). Forward Head Posture [FHP] is present when the head at rest is positioned in front of the center of the shoulder. The movement of this much weight (About ten pounds) in front of the plumb line causes a shift in the body's Center of Mass, or balance point.

The good news is that the human body has an exquisite self-balancing system to compensate for shifts of the Center of Mass. The bad news is that these compensatory changes can be quite extreme (Illustration - RIGHT ) and cause severe structural stresses and even changes in organ systems.

There is a predictable pattern of compensation as the body realigns the Center of Mass. This is called the Trinity of Forward Head Posture [FHP].

1. Head moves forward of the shoulders. This changes the body's center of mass and center of gravity, triggering a response in the body's balance system.
2. To counter-balance the mid and upper back drifts backward, the shoulders rotate inward.
3. In response to that movement, the pelvis tilts forward

Several major studies have concluded that FHP is a direct indicator of a person's overall health:

• Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture; however, many symptoms, including pain, may be moderated or eliminated by improved posture.¹
• Hyperkyphotic (hi-per-kie-fah-tick) posture [excessive curvature of the thoracic spine, commonly referred to as hunchback] predicts increased mortality. Interventions specifically targeted at improving hyperkyphotic posture could result in reduced mortality rates.²

What is Kyphosis?

• Researchers found that even mild forward head carriage is “detrimental” to a person’s “overall health”. They concluded that the farther the head/neck moved in front of the seventh (7^th) cervical vertebrae “all measures of health status showed significantly poorer scores” and that this forward translation increased a person’s pain and decreased their ability to function!³
• Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK found a direct cellular connection between muscles in the neck and a part of the brainstem - called the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) - which plays a essential role in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. This finding quite possibly explains why an injury to the muscles of the neck (i.e. whiplash) can at times change a person’s blood pressure and heart rate. It stands to reason that repetitive use injury to these same muscles (i.e. slouched posture at your desk and/or computer, cell phone, tablet use) may very well adversely alter these vital signs too!

Poor Posture Alters Your Vital Signs

Major Effects of Forward Head Posture

- For every one inch the head sits forward of the shoulders, an additional 15-30 pounds of tension is placed on the muscles in the back of the neck.

The Physics of Forward Head Posture

- It has been estimated that a person with Forward Head Posture uses 30% more body energy to keep the body erect.

- As the body shifts, certain muscle groups get stretched and become weak, and other groups shorten, and become weak. This results in degenerative changes that twist and distort the spine and subsequently shorter stature.

 

<sup>There is nothing good about poor posture and regardless of the activity (work or play) posture affects your overall performance. At least 85% of the back/neck pain related issues that enter my office derive from improper posture. Poor bodily usage directly impacts the biological, psychological, and social aspects of our daily lives leaving us dysfunctional, exhausted, and in pain. Implementing proper body mechanics is simply a mindful adherence to good habits that must be practiced with moment to moment awareness.  

Even though poor posture is not self-correcting it can be reversed. A chiropractor near you utilizing manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and lifestyle advice can help you overcome upper crossed syndrome [see image above] and return you to a neutral posture in no time</sup>

¹ Lennon J, Shealy N, Cady, RK, Matta W et al. Postural and Respiratory Modulation of Autonomic Function, Pain, and Health. American Journal of Pain Management. 1994;4 (1):36-3

² Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume 52, Issue 10, pages 1662–1667, October 2004

³ Glassman SD, Bridwell K, Dimar JR, Horton W, Berven S, Schwab F. The impact of positive sagittal balance in adult spinal deformity. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2005 Sep 15;30(18):2024-9.

⁴ The Journal of Neuroscience, 1 August 2007, 27(31):8324-8333