Tel: 01 283 4303Posture Perfect
Good posture is one of the most crucial elements of good health. Your posture influences not only your physical but also your emotional and psychological well-being. Your posture really is worth your consideration in everyday life.
Maintaining a good posture will most certainly help you avoid many musculoskeletal ailments. Since there are many different body types proper posture will differ from person to person. It is therefore very important to raise your awareness about your body type and what your good posture looks and feels like.
For many people, they first develop this awareness following assessment and treatment by a Physiotherapist for a physical ailment, often as a result of or compounded by poor posture.
What is 'posture'?
Posture is the position in which you hold your body while standing, sitting or lying down.
Good posture involves training the body to move and hold positions with the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments.
Benefits of good posture
- Keeps bones and joints in correct alignment allowing muscles to function correctly
- Helps minimise the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces
- Reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together
- Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions
- Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently
- Prevents backache and muscular pain
How to achieve good posture
It is possible to correct poor posture with practice. First you must raise your awareness of your current posture and begin making adjustments in everyday activities.
Combining this effort with a suitable exercise routine will make a tremendous difference. An exercise routine such as Pilates will help you build muscle flexibility, strengthen postural muscles and bring your body back into proper balance.
Below are some simple guidelines
Assessing and adjusting for good posture
Standing correctly
- Head up straight with your chin in. Do not tilt your head in any direction
- Imagine your head being pulled toward the ceiling - stretch tall
- Shoulders back and back straight
- Knees straight
- Tuck your stomach in
- Feet firm on the ground, arches should be supported correctly. See here for details - orthotics
Sitting correctly
- Keep your back straight and your shoulders back
- Your bum should touch the back of your chair
- Maintain the normal curves in your back, use a lumbar support if necessary
- Rest your elbows and arms on the chair arms or desk in front of you to take weight off your shoulders
It is important to avoid sitting in the same position for more than 30 minutes. Regularly stand up and move around if possible.
Driving position
You want to find the right seat adjustment to allow your knees to be bent and at right angles or higher than your hips.
- Move the seat closer to the steering wheel if necessary
- Use a back support / lumbar roll at the curve of your back
Sleeping and lying down
You should always try to sleep in a position which helps maintain the curve in your back. A common position for this is on your side with knees slightly bent. A pillow between your legs can add additional support.
It is usually best to avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Your pillow thickness and firmness is also very important and will differ from person to person. You want the arch of your neck to be comfortably supported.
Firm mattresses are better than soft ones however this will again be a matter of personal preference. With your increased postural awareness if you find your mattress is too soft you could place a sheet of boarding underneath it for a temporary trial.
Let's take a quick look at poor posture
Poor posture is the result of musculoskeletal distortion in the neck, and lower and upper back. Muscles tighten up or shorten while others lengthen and become weak which often occurs as a result of one’s daily activities
Poor sitting posture is one of the main causes of neck pain syndromes and postural backache. Even with a good sitting posture it is not easy to maintain for long periods of time. This is why it is so important to stand up and take regular breaks from sitting, even if for only a minute.
Slumping
Most people would identify poor posture with the 'slump' of the shoulders and head forward. Some of the classic signs of poor posture include having a pot belly, rounded shoulders, and a jutted out neck and chin.
Pot bellies result when the lower back experiences an exaggerated curve, thus pushing the internal organs, in the abdominal region of the body, toward the anterior of the body. Rounded shoulders and postural neck problems result from the excessive anterior curve of the cervical and thoracic spine.
Risks associated with poor posture
Poor posture by slumping over can impede the ability of the lungs to expand, decreasing its capacity to obtain the maximum amount of oxygen needed.
Poor posture is also a significant cause in many injuries, especially in sports.
After a time, poor posture feels normal and continues to regress further from correct posture becoming harder to correct because the muscle memory now stores the information needed for poor posture.
Poor posture will continue to digress the longer it is left uncorrected.
Our Chartered Physiotherapists apply an integral approach to treating the whole body when postural issues are identified. Manual therapy and medical acupuncture/dry needling are very effective in loosening tight muscles and increasing joint mobility. These techniques are an ideal first measure for correcting poor posture.
It must be reiterated that one of the most powerful treatments for poor posture will be the advice and recommendations given by the Physiotherapist for daily adjustments.
Correct posture is not a quick fix and will require on-going commitment and awareness on your part. Our professional services are then available for periodic 'booster' treatments as required on your journey to perfect posture and a strong, healthy body.
