Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Could Your Posture be the Reason for Your Aches and Pains? How Bad Posture Affects You
Do you suffer from daily or recurrent aches and pains? If so, your posture may be the culprit. Just think about the number of hours a day we spend staring at a computerscreen,hunchedoverourdesks,orstaringatourphones.Thatcreates a lotofstresson theneckandback,especially ifyouareslouched, titled forward, or looking down for prolonged periods of time. HOW DOES POOR POSTURE AFFECT ME? Changes to your posture can negatively affect your body, and you may find yourself experiencing some of the following symptoms: • Ifyourposturecontainsaforwardhead tilt –This forward-headposturecreates a strain on the neck, which can result in neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, chronic headaches, and lower back pain. Tilting your head forward for long periods of time shortens the muscles in the back of the neck, and can result in soreness throughout multiple parts of your body. • Ifyourposturecontainsslouchingof themid-back – Ifyouslouch themiddleof yourback,youcandriveyourhead forwardandalter thewayyour ribsnaturally align.Bydoing this,youmayexperiencepain in theslouched regionof themid- back, inaddition topain in theneck. If this isyouraveragestandingposture, it is
important to seek physical therapy treatment right away – over time, standing like this day after day may cause internal issues, as it creates pressure on your lungs, heart, and digestive system. • If your posture includes sitting for long periods of time – When you sit for prolonged periods of time, the muscles in your hips and legs will stiffen. When thesemusclesbecomestiff, they tightenandwillpullon the lowerback,causing pain. The joints also lose their range of motion, which can cause soreness or achiness in the hips, legs, and back, and can create issues with your gait. The way in which you walk can also have an effect on your posture. When you have improper posture, your center of gravity changes. This can cause your balance to decline, which can cause pain when walking, thus creating a vicious cycle of overcompensation and pain. The most common symptom of poor posture is lower back pain , although pain can be present in other parts of the body, as well. The back muscles constantly contract to keep you upright, and they overcompensate when you slouch or hunch over. Over a period of time, constant poor posture can create an unusual amount of wear and tear on the lower back, which can increase the risk of arthritis in the spine.
Schedule Your Appointment Today! Kewanee: 309.852-2200 Galva: 309.932.8100 Stark County: 309.695.4010.
www.kptrs.com
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