HAVING POOR POSTURE

 

Most people attribute, at least to some degree, their neck or back pain to poor posture. A good posture is a form of fitness in which the muscles of the body support the skeleton in an alignment that is stable and efficient. Good posture is present both in stillness and in movement.

Causes of Bad Posture.

Unfortunately, numerous factors can get in the way of good posture. Bad posture can come about by things like the day-to-day effects of gravity on our bodies. Bad posture may also occur due to an injury, an illness, or because of genetics - issues that, for the most part, you cannot control.

Injury and Muscle Guarding.

After an injury, muscles can spasm as a way of protecting the vulnerable area. While muscle spasms can help keep your injuries stable and protect them from further injury, they also limit your movements and cause pain. Prolonged muscle spasms lead to weakened muscles over time. The resulting imbalance between muscles that guard an injury and those still working normally may also lead to aberrations in body posture.

Muscle Tension and Muscle Weakness.

When certain muscle groups are weak or tense, your posture can be affected. After a while, you can also develop pain. Muscle weakness or tension can develop when you hold a prolonged position day after day or when you do routine tasks and chores in a way that places tension on your muscles or uses them unequally.

Daily Habits Can Lead to Bad Posture.

In these situations, your body may be forced to use an alternate, but less efficient, patterns of muscle contraction and stretch. Called compensation, the body can still achieve its movement aim, but with compromised alignment.

Your Use of Technology and Your Posture.

Your use of technology - whether you sit at a computer all day, use a tablet or cell phone, or work with several devices at once - can slowly take your body out of alignment. If you text incessantly, you may develop text neck, which is a condition in which your neck is held in too much flexion, or forward bending, for too long. This may lead to pain.

Mental Attitude and Stress May Lead to Bad Posture.

Do you stress easily or have stressful relationships? If so, watch your posture.  Stress may contribute to shallow breathing or overly-contracted muscles, which may compromise your body posture.

Shoe Choice and The Way You Wear Them.

Clothing, especially shoes, can affect posture. Heels throw your body weight forward, which can easily catapult you into misalignment. And if you wear down either the outside or inside of the shoes faster - because of things like weight-bearing habits - imbalanced kinetic forces will likely be translated up your ankle, knee, hip, and lower back. This may lead to pain or bad posture in any of these joints, as well as your lumbar spine.

Heredity and Genetics.

Sometimes it is just in the genes. For example, Scheuermann's disease is a condition in which adolescent boys develop a pronounced kyphosis in their thoracic spines. Of course, in cases such as these, it is best to work with your healthcare provider for treatment and management.

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