Posture
Benefits of Chiropractic Care
One of the main causes of pain and disease in the human body can be traced to improper alignment of the vertebrae in your spinal column. This is called a subluxation. Through carefully applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints, pressure and irritation on the nerves is relieved and joint mobility is restored, allowing your body to return to its natural state of balance, called homeostasis. Put another way, when the bones in your spine are allowed to go back to their proper positions, the nerve energy can resume its normal flow and your body's natural healing processes can function properly.
In general, proper chiropractic treatment of your body's lumbar, or lower back, region, involves very little risk, and the rewards can be significant.
Chiropractic manipulations can be especially helpful in relieving pain for facet joint injuries, osteoarthritis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction, because such conditions respond well to mobilization. Moreover, scores of patients with chronic headaches, sinus problems, high blood pressure, ear infections, leg pain, arthritis, and many other illnesses have reported significant relief after chiropractic therapy.
Increasingly over the past few decades, the medical community has come to accept and recognize chiropractic care as a valid form of treatment for a variety of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, and as a conservative treatment option for patients with lower back pain. Moreover, many medical doctors recognize a chiropractic diagnosis and accept it as the first line of treatment for functional disorders of the entire musculoskeletal system.
Studies by leading medical journals in recent years have confirmed the benefits of chiropractic care:
- A 1993 report by the Ontario Ministry of Health concluded that chiropractic care was the most effective treatment for lower back pain. The agency also recommended that chiropractic care be fully integrated in the Canadian government's health care system.
- In 1994, the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research published its Clinical Practice Guidelines, which asserted that spinal manipulation was effective in reducing pain and speeding recovery among patients with acute low back symptoms without radiculopathy.
- A 1996 New England Journal of Medicine study of outcomes and costs for acute low back pain found that patients treated by chiropractors were significantly more satisfied than those who saw primary care, orthopedic or managed care practitioners.
- A 1996 study in the journal Spine echoed that study, and found that patients who sought chiropractic care were more likely to feel that treatment was helpful, more likely to be satisfied with their care, and less likely to seek care from another provider for the same condition, compared to those who sought care from medical doctors.
- In 2001, the Center for Clinical Health Policy Research at Duke University concluded in a study that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for cervicogenic headaches, or those that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.
Try this simple posture "reality check" the next time you are standing in front of a full-length mirror:
- Are your knees and ankles straight (i.e., not angled inward or outward)?
- Are your shoulders and hips level?
- As you stand sideways, does your lower back have a natural curve in it?
- Do the spaces between your arms and sides seem equal?
- Is your chin level or parallel to the floor?
- Is your head straight?
Proper posture is one of the best preventive measures you can take to ensure a healthy spine. Good posture means maintaining your spine in a neutral position. This means standing or sitting so that your spine keeps its three natural curves—the small hollow at the base of the neck, a small roundness at the middle back, and a small hollow in the lower back.
Proper posture is the result of good musculoskeletal balance, which helps protect the joints in your spine from undue stress and guards against injury and deformity. It requires diligence and awareness on your part. Most of us need to gently prod ourselves mentally to ensure we are walking and sitting correctly.
Poor posture can result from regularly carrying excessive weights, or hunching over when working at a computer or watching television. It also has been linked to chronic headaches, shoulder pain, and TMJ dysfunction. It also can lead to such problems as: fatigue (from over-taxed muscles supporting a misaligned spine); muscle aches in your neck, back, arms, and legs; and stiff, painful joints (which may eventually lead to conditions such as degenerative osteoarthritis.)
Sometimes, poor posture is something that cannot be helped. For example, people with degenerative nerve or skeletal problems find it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a healthy posture.
Posture Tips
Here are some posture tips for various positions and activities throughout the day.
When standing:
- Straight body
- Your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles align in one straight line. (If you hung a string with a ball bearing at the end from your ear lobe, the string would dissect the middle of your anklebone.)
- Chin level but slightly tucked, shoulders slightly back and level, pelvis shifted forward (this allows your hips to align with your ankles)
- Feet are shoulder width apart
- Knees unlocked
- Breastbone lifted (this requires moving your shoulder blades down and in toward each other).
- Jaw and neck muscles relaxed
When sitting:
- Hips touching the back of the chair
- Breastbone lifted
- Shoulder blades in toward each other. This helps push out your breastbone and keeps your rib cage a safe distance from your hips. It also improves your breathing while sitting.
- Level chin.
Stand up, walk around, and take frequent breaks from prolonged periods of sitting.
When driving:
- Allow your head to make contact with the headrest. This keeps your chin level and your neck properly aligned.
- Don't shrug your shoulders
- Ensure that your knees are slightly higher than your hips.
- Ensure that you car seat allows you to keep your back in a vertical, not angled, position.
When sleeping:
Consider investing in a cervical roll or similar pillow specially designed to keep your neck supported and in natural alignment with your head and upper back.
One of the best positions is on your side, with knees slightly bent and a pillow between your knees. Place a pillow under your knees if you are a back sleeper; this helps maintain the curve in your lower back. If you are a stomach sleeper and sleep with your head on an oversized pillow, it sometimes forces your lower back to curve excessively, putting pressure on your diaphragm and lungs.
Exercises to help posture
- Chin tuck – Sit or stand erect while gently pulling your chin back to a comfortable position. Do reps of 10 several times a day.
- Shoulder squeeze – Bring your elbows behind you while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Do reps of 10 or 20 while holding the squeeze for a five count.
Additional tips
- Avoid hyperextending your neck to peer over an obstacle for long periods of time.
- Don't carry excess body baggage.
- Maintain a healthy weight. "Beer bellies" or” spare tires," for example, act like bag of cement, making it difficult for you to stand or walk erect; even trying to walk correctly can place undue strain on your spine and muscles.
- Exercise regularly to keep your muscles flexible and toned properly.
- Have routine eye exams to ensure poor eyesight isn't keeping you off balance when you sit or walk.
- Invest soundly in a good quality box spring and mattress.
- Practice good ergonomics when sitting in front of a computer, watching television, or driving.
- Practice sound lifting techniques.
Dr. Robert Pinto
Dr. Anne Pinto
5408 Discovery Park Blvd., Suite 200
Williamsburg, VA 23188
757-645-9300