Spinal Hygiene

Understanding Why Poor Posture Happens and How To Fix It

Share

Factors that cause poor unhealthy posture can be caused by the day-to-day effects of gravity on the body, personal, work, or sports injuries, illness, genetics, or a combination of these factors is also common. This leads to neck and back pain that leads to various musculoskeletal health issues. Achieving consistent healthy posture requires technique and practice. Chiropractic treatment with massage and/or physical therapy can restore muscles to optimal mobility and function.

Causes of Unhealthy Posture

Factors that cause posture problems, like back pain, are often caused by issues with the strength and flexibility ratio between the body’s muscle groups that hold the body upright.

Injury Guarding

  • After sustaining an injury, muscles can spasm to protect the injured and the surrounding area.
  • Muscle spasms can help keep injuries stable and protect them from worsening, but they can also limit movements and cause pain symptoms.
  • Prolonged muscle spasms can lead to weakened/vulnerable muscles creating an imbalance between the muscles guarding against the injury and those still working normally.
  • This can cause the body posture to shift to compensate.

Muscle Tension

  • Muscle weakness or tension can develop when holding a prolonged position day after day or when doing daily tasks/chores in a way that places added tension on the body.
  • When certain muscle groups are weak or tense, posture will be affected.
  • Aches and pains begin to develop from the awkward positioning and the other muscles that must work overtime.

Habits

  • Compensation is when the body can still achieve its movement goal but with compromised and unhealthy alignment.
  • As the body compensates and accommodates muscle spasms, weakness, tension, and/or imbalance begin to present.
  • When this happens, the body may be forced to use alternate and less efficient patterns of muscle contraction and flexion.

Technology

  • Working with several combined devices can slowly shift the body from the correct alignment.
  • Incessant texting can cause text neck to develop, a condition in which the neck is held in too much flexion, or forward bending, for a prolonged time.
  • Discomfort, trigger points, and pain symptoms will start to develop, which leads to further posture problems.

Stress

  • Individuals who experience stress regularly and easily are factors that cause posture problems.
  • Stress can contribute to shallow breathing or overly-contracted muscles, causing the body to shift out of alignment.
  • Adjusting posture can help counter the stress effects.

Foot Wear

  • Footwear affects posture.
  • Heels extend the body’s weight forward, which can cause hip and spinal misalignment.
  • Individuals can wear down the outside or inside of their shoes faster because of things like:
  • Weight-bearing habits.
  • Imbalanced kinetic forces will be translated up the ankle, knee, hip, and lower back.
  • This can lead to pain and discomfort in any of these joints.

Genetics

  • Sometimes factors that cause unhealthy posture are hereditary.
  • For example, Scheuermann’s disease – a condition in which adolescent boys develop pronounced kyphosis in their thoracic spines.
  • It is recommended to work with the individual’s primary/specialist healthcare provider in conjunction with a chiropractic specialist team for treatment and management.

Chiropractic treatment can help individuals achieve and maintain proper posture through various massage therapies to release tightness and relax the muscles, decompression to realign the spine, adjustments to realign the body, and postural training through exercises and stretches to develop healthy postural habits.


Quick Patient Intake


References

In, Tae-Sung et al., β€œSpinal and Pelvic Alignment of Sitting Posture Associated with Smartphone Use in Adolescents with Low Back Pain.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health vol. 18,16 8369. 7 Aug. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18168369

Korakakis, Vasileios, et al. β€œPhysiotherapist perceptions of optimal sitting and standing posture.” Musculoskeletal Science & Practice vol. 39 (2019): 24-31. doi:10.1016/j.msksp.2018.11.004

Mansfield JT, Bennett M. Scheuermann Disease. [Updated 2022 Aug 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499966/

Mingels, Sarah, et al. β€œIs There Support for the Paradigm β€˜Spinal Posture as a Trigger for Episodic Headache’? A Comprehensive Review.” Current pain and headache reports vol. 23,3 17. 4 Mar. 2019, doi:10.1007/s11916-019-0756-2

Mork, Paul Jarle, and Rolf H Westgaard. β€œBack posture and low back muscle activity in female computer workers: a field study.” Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) vol. 24,2 (2009): 169-75. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2008.11.001

Pope, Malcolm H et al. β€œSpine ergonomics.” Annual review of Biomedical Engineering vol. 4 (2002): 49-68. doi:10.1146/annurev.bioeng.4.092101.122107

Shaghayegh Fard, B et al. β€œEvaluation of forward head posture in sitting and standing positions.” The European Spine Journal: official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society vol. 25,11 (2016): 3577-3582. doi:10.1007/s00586-015-4254-x

Tinitali, Sarah, et al. β€œSitting Posture During Occupational Driving Causes Low Back Pain; Evidence-Based Position or Dogma? A Systematic Review.” Human Factors vol. 63,1 (2021): 111-123. doi:10.1177/0018720819871730

Wernli, Kevin, et al. β€œMovement, posture and low back pain. How do they relate? A replicated single-case design in 12 people with persistent, disabling low back pain.” European Journal of Pain (London, England) vol. 24,9 (2020): 1831-1849. doi:10.1002/ejp.1631

Post Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Understanding Why Poor Posture Happens and How To Fix It" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, acupuncture, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card

Recent Posts

Daily Vegetable Consumption: The Key to a Healthy Diet

Does an individual's ideal daily intake of vegetables depend on age, sex, and activity level?… Read More

October 9, 2024

Peptic Ulcers and NSAIDs: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

For individuals with chronic pain conditions, what are the risks of developing peptic ulcers? NSAIDs… Read More

October 8, 2024

The Importance of Concussion Tests for Brain Injury Evaluation

What type of concussion tests are there to help establish the extent of head injuries… Read More

October 4, 2024

Treating Elbow Pain Caused from Lifting: Effective Solutions

Elbow pain from lifting is a common symptom among individuals who lift weights, heavy objects,… Read More

October 3, 2024

The Impact of Dehydration During Pregnancy and Staying Hydrated

For pregnant individuals, dehydration during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for the individual… Read More

October 2, 2024

Discover the Beneficial Properties of a HIIT Workout: Transform Your Fitness Routine t

For individuals that are trying to change up their daily routine, can incorporating the beneficial… Read More

October 2, 2024