Healthy Posture

Sustaining a healthy posture involves maintaining balance within all the structures within your body, especially your spine and the muscles surrounding your spinal structures. By maintaining a healthy posture you may be able to eliminate back and neck pain. Your bones within your spine have the ability to efficiently balance and support your body’s weight. When you have improper posture, the muscles, tendons and ligaments that work together to maintain your posture are under constant strain and they have to work even harder to support that same weight. This extra work and constant strain may lead to back and neck pain as well cerviocogenic headaches. 

Maintaining a healthy posture may also improve your breathing. When you have improper posture and you’re slumped over, your rib cage and your lung field space is narrowed and collapsed, leaving less room for the lungs to expand, which in turn causes inefficient breathing.

Effects of poor posture:

• Misalignment of your musculoskeletal system
• Neck, shoulder and back pain
• Reduce flexibility 
• Affect joint movement
• Affect your balance and therefore increase risk of falls
• Affect your breathing and digestion

There are two types of postures:

Dynamic posture: refers to the way you hold yourself when you are moving ie. Walking, running and bending over.

Static posture: refers to the way you hold yourself when you are not moving ie. Sitting, standing or sleeping.

It is important to ensure that you’re maintaining both dynamic and static posture well.

Simple ways to improve your posture everyday:

• By simply being more mindful during everyday activities.
• Stay active. By staying active you’re building muscles that support your spine and allow you to maintain an upright posture without having to think about it.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight can cause strain on your spine and weaken the muscles that support it. Additionally, it can contribute to back pain which may further affect your posture.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Wearing correct footwear is vital in maintaining good posture and balance while walking. Incorrect or uncomfortable footwear can force you to walk differently which may cause extra stress on your muscles leading to an unhealthy posture.
• Work ergonomics. Make sure that work surfaces and chairs are at a comfortable height both at work at a desk and at home.  

Here at Lakeside Chiropractic we can help you maintain a healthy posture through a variety of techniques and exercises. Centrally located in Perth’s Northern Suburb of Joondalup WA 6027; with visitors from a variety of neighbouring suburbs such as: Duncraig, Heathridge, Kallaroo, Beldon, Mindarie, Craigie, Padbury, Sinagra, Wanneroo, and Merriwa. We have HICAPS Facilities available onsite for all major Health Insurance providers (BUPA, HCF, HBF, AHM, NIB), We are also Medibank preferred practitioner. If you are after further information or would like to book an appointment please feel free to contact us on 9300 0095 or visit our website www.lakesidechiro.com.au.