Picture Perfect Posture Program Part II

Last time we talked about causes of bad posture, pain associated with bad posture, health in regards to posture, and how to recognize poor posture. Today we'll discuss what good posture looks like.

What does perfect posture look like?

Normal Posture

Perfect standing posture is when the following are properly aligned--the points between your eyes, chin, collarbone, breastbone, pubic area and midpoint between your ankles;

From the side, you can easily see the three natural curves in your back;

From the front, your shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height;

Your head is held straight, not tilted or turned to one side;

From the back, the little bumps on your spine should be in a straight line down the center of your back. Active Health Chiropractic will work with you and help this along.

Obviously, no one spends all day in this position. But, if you naturally assume a relaxed standing posture, you will carry yourself in a more balanced position and with less stress in your other activities.

Poor Posture

We at Active Health Chiropractic know that posture takes the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, this leads to poor posture. When you have poor posture, the body's proper vertical position is out of alignment and the back's natural curves become distorted. The following are some examples of poor posture:

1) Head Forward or Slouched Posture:

•rounded shoulders

•head forward, rounded upper back

•arched lower back

•protruding buttocks

•chest flattens

•abdominal organs sag, crowding and making more work for heart and lungs

•seen often in women who have osteoporosis in later years

2) Military posture: (Though Active Health Chiropractic is so grateful for our military's service, this is not a long term posture to have.)

•head pulled back

•shoulder blades tightly pulled back

•arched lower back

•knees locked (straight)

•minimizes the spinal column's ability to be a shock absorber for the body

3) Slumped sitting posture: (and certainly don't slouch if you're behind the wheel as a DOT driver) •upper back humped or too rounded, •head forward, •rounded lower back, and •often starts in teenage years

4) Kids, Parents and Posture

Standing up straight is important for everyone, but at no time is it more crucial to develop the habits of good posture than in childhood. Many adults with chronic back pain can trace the problem to years of bad posture habits or injuries in childhood.

Because they are growing and more active, children may be at even more risk for injury to the back and spine. According to studies, there is a significantly high risk associated with football, trampolining and gymnastics. More than 1/3 of all high school football players sustain some type of injury. As a parent, seek professional help for children in the event of even a minor sports injury. Parents should also be aware that babies who are not strapped into an auto safety seat run the risk of injury and even death in the event of a quick stop or an accident.

Next, Active Health Chiropractic will discuss our posture with aging and ways to improve our posture....