Improve Your Posture, Improve Your Health.

Admin
Aug 24, 2017
2 min read

Updated: May 9

What is posture?

Posture is defined as the position that we hold our bodies in. Proper posture helps to prevent excessive pressure being placed on joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons of the body.

Problems from poor Posture? 

Improper or poor posture is a very common problem. In this age of technology, many of us spend hours on a computer, on our cellphones or watching television. Our society today has become much less active then previous generations. Long periods of sitting improperly result in tight chest muscles, overstretched rotator cuff and scapular muscles and hyperextended upper part of neck (cervical spine). The most apparent changes that occur are forward protrusion of head, rounded shoulders, and hunched back. As a result you can develop overuse conditions like rotator cuff strain, limited shoulder and neck movement, neck pain and even tension headaches, back pain and low mood and lowered work performance.

It is not uncommon for seniors to develop poor posture or postural deformities due to years of repetitive stress and strain on their body.

How to restore good posture?

Physiotherapy, massage therapy and specific exercises focused at improving posture can help correct posture, resolve pain and limitations.

Your physiotherapist will identify postural faults and correct them with various strategies like specific exercises for postural awareness, stretching and strengthening muscles, joint mobilizations, muscle co-activation, etc. Tight muscles can be stretched and weak muscles can be strengthened to restore muscle balance. Back and neck muscles can be trained to contract properly to maintain a good sitting/standing alignment (as in the picture above). These strength and stretching exercises help to develop muscle memory of your stabilizing muscles. Developing muscle memory helps you to maintain correct postural alignment without fatiguing. In addition to treatment of existing problems, physiotherapy can help address and prevent posture-related issues.

Here are a few benefits to having good posture:

Reduces pain in your neck, back and shoulders

Reduces muscle tension

Helps to increase range of motion

Postural stabilizing muscles develop muscle memory

Can improve sleep

Improve muscle tone and strength

Additionally, Posture Medic brace, which is specifically designed from a resistance band and can be worn around your shoulders to help correct posture. It is a tool that can be used in addition to exercises and physiotherapy by people of all ages to retrain proper posture when siting or standing for long periods or performing repetitive activities.