Body posture is not limited only to the spine, or to having an upright posture when standing. It can also include posture while laying down, sitting down, or moving. If you have a habit of adopting bad posture while you stand, sit, walk, or sleep, you may suffer from some signs and symptoms that may be affecting your health.
Below we will describe some of the posture problems and warning signs of poor posture that you are likely to observe in yourself, or in those close to you.
Below we will describe some of the posture problems and warning signs of poor posture that you are likely to observe in yourself, or in those close to you.
1) Hunch Back
Generally speaking, a hunched back is represented by an exaggerated and enhanced curvature of the spine in the mid-back. It is sometimes also called increased kyphosis.
2) Duck Bottom or Anterior Pelvic Tilt
It means the upper part of your pelvis tilts forward, while the lower part of your pelvis tilts backward. This posture puts extra pressure on the joints of the lower back because it enhances the curve through the lumbar spine.
This posture, if permanently adopted for a prolonged period of time, leads to tightening of the hip flexor muscles as well as that of the hamstrings (back muscles of thigh). This posture also causes your stomach to stick out more at the bottom.
3) Forward Head Posture
The more your head is directed in a forward position, the more pressure it exerts to the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, etc.) and joints of your neck and upper back. This can lead to structural and positional changes in your body (especially in the neck and shoulders) that result in pain.
4) Slumped Shoulders
It is the rolling forward of the shoulders. Rolled or slumped shoulders often happen due to prolonged periods of sitting, specifically when you are doing an office job while leaning forward and working on a computer screen.
5) Flat Feet
Flat feet are characterised by the loss of the arches of your feet. They are often missed as a sign of bad posture. They are not good for the posture of the rest of the whole body because they change the biomechanics of the whole body.
Your body acts like a single unit. Change in one area always results in changes in other areas. Feet will alter the position of knees, that will alter the posture of hips and result in a pelvic tilt.
6) Posterior Pelvic Tilt or Sway Back position
It means that your pelvis is tilted in the backward direction. This type of bad posture is more commonly found in males. What you should observe in this regard is at what angle your pelvis is directed from your upper torso.
7) Shoulder Tilt
It means that one of your shoulders is higher than the other one. You may notice that one of your shoulder blades is positioned higher than the other. A shoulder tilt most commonly appears in the type of environment where one side of your torso is used more than the other and can sometimes lead to muscle imbalances.
Negative effects of bad posture
If you think that adopting any poor posture will not disturb your life, then you are wrong. The health effects of bad posture can spread beyond back problems.
Bad postural habits may result in many painful symptoms in your body that include neck pain, shoulders and arm pain, upper and low back pain, pain in the lower extremities including ankle, knee, hip and buttocks, fatigue, acid reflux, difficulty in breathing and headache because the tension in the muscles of the upper back and neck is increased.
Contributing Factors to Postural Dysfunction
There are some contributing factors to the poor postural habits which are described as following.
- No awareness of the bad posture
- Lack of knowledge of what constitutes both good posture (or proper posture) and bad posture
- Lack of exercise
- Lifestyle
- Occupational reasons
- Joint pain, stiffness or any other anomaly
- Muscle weakness or tightness
- Lack of proper ergonomic applications in the workplace
- Weak core muscles that allow for bad core stability
Treatment of Postural Problems
If you suffer from bad posture, you may be wondering how to fix it. Below you can find a few tips on improving your posture.
If your posture is severely affected to the point where it significantly impacts your ability to carry out everyday tasks, it is recommended that you seek medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
Keep your shoulders straight
When you feel you start to slouch, adjust your posture.
Pull your chest up
During slouching, your chest is rounded inward. This may cause acid reflux and difficulty in breathing because your chest cavity is pressed, and it cannot perform its functions properly. Pulling your chest up will make your thoracic cavity roomier and you will prevent yourself from such problems.
Engage in strengthening exercises
If your poor posture is caused by weak muscles, exercises may help by strengthening any weak muscles so that your body can return to its natural, neutral position.
The treatment of bad posture does not require any medical or surgical intervention. Rather, you can use something as simple as the Backrack Spinal Decompression Device to reverse the process of spinal compression and get rid of back pain.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Therapy
Author: Spinal Backrack
