Common Posture Issues and How You Can Improve Them!

Common posture problems:

Rounding shoulders

This is when you are sitting with your head forward, away from its ‘neutral’ position. When our head is sitting in a forward position, it increases the load and compression on the neck. As a general rule, every 2.5cm that the head is in a forward posture, an additional 4-5kg of weight is felt on the neck!

Forward head posture

Rounding shoulders is exactly what it sounds like. You may often hear people refer to this as being in a slouched position. We can begin to develop rounding or rolled forward shoulders after being in this sustained, hunched position and adapting it as a postural habit.

Slouching in upper back

When the spine of the upper back curves at an increased angle. This can also be known as an increased kyphosis. This position is often adapted after continuously maintaining a slouched position, rounding shoulders and forward head carriage.

Increased curve in lower back

This is also known as increased lordosis or hyper lordosis. In this position, your pelvis tilts forward and creates an exaggerated curve in your mid to lower back region.

What’s the cause of posture problems?

• Desk Work
• Long periods of driving
• Incorrect sleeping positions or pillow
• Weak stabilising muscles
• Hypertonic muscles
• Structural or functional changes such as scoliosis
• Sedentary activity
• Progression of the ageing process (degeneration)

What can be done to help prevent posture issues from occurring?

1. Awareness of your posture
2. Stretching and using things such as a posture pole
3. Keeping active!
4. Ergonomic working environments
5. Using the correct pillow

Benefits of Having a Good Posture:

• Reduction of muscle tension
• Decreased stress on joints and ligaments
• Increase in energy and mood
• Decreases the risk of injury
• Helps decrease episodes of pain and tension throughout the body

How Can Our Team Help?

Depending on the severity of the injury or area of concern our practitioners in our Broadmeadows, Westmeadows and Fawkner Clinics will treat accordingly to your complaint. Treatments that may be provided but are not limited to include:

• Spinal manipulation, Activator Methods, Drop Piece, SOT and other adjustive techniques can help alleviate joints that have restriction such as spinal segments and joints (LeFebvre, Peterson & Haas, 2012)
• PNF/PIR/prescribed stretching – Stretching has shown to reduce pain, improve functionality of the wrist and hand also maintains strength and improves patients in both long and short-term outcomes.
• Remedial Massage, Trigger point therapy or use of handheld massager – Have shown to decrease pain/tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life and influence flexibility (Shah et al., 2015) (Imtiyaz, Veqar & Shareef, 2014)
• Advice on daily living activities/diet – This enables advice on how to change to make healthy        actions into habits and may offer a valuable alternative with potential for long-term   impact. (Gardner, Lally & Wardle, 2012)
• Prescribed exercises – produce more beneficial outcomes in terms of increased strength, improved function and reduced pain scores. (Fernandes, Pedrinelli & Hernandez, 2015)
• Dry Needling or Cupping to the surrounding musculature to help decrease tension and inflammation around the area of the hand and forearm.

*Note: If you are suffering from severe Neck pain, Low back pain, shooting pains down the legs, troubles lifting limbs due to soreness, sciatica or joint pain and need more than ways to help improve your posture don’t hesitate to contact our team of practitioners who are always happy to help! Bookings are available online 7 days a week! https://themelbournechiropractor.com.au/book-now