Poor posture is one of the most common causes of noncontact injuries, meaning that the injury is caused by overuse or misuse of the joint over a long period of time rather than occurring suddenly. When your body is misaligned, certain parts of your body will be shortened and tight while the opposing sides will be lengthened and weak. Most people who suffer from poor posture include those who work sitting down most of the time, such as people with a desk job, drivers or students, and the elderly and teenagers.
Types
According to Anthony Carey, author of "The Pain-Free Program," four primary types of poor posture exist. The anterior tilt happens when the pelvis tilts forward, causing the lumbar spine to hyperextend. This causes the upper spine to flex excessively and the shoulders to round forward.
The posterior tilt occurs when the pelvis tilts back, causing the torso to lean backward. This causes the shoulders and head to shift forward to maintain balance, which places a lot of stress upon the shoulders and neck.
Elevation happens when one side of the pelvis or a shoulder is higher than the other. This causes one side of the body to feel tighter and have less range of motion.
Rotation deviation occurs when one hip or shoulder turns forward, causing one side of the body to appear more forward-facing than the other.
Effects
When a muscle is shortened, it receives more neural stimulation than the lengthened one, which receives less. This causes the lengthened muscles and tissues to become weak and less likely to activate during movement. For example, if your hip flexors are tight, then their opposing muscle group, your buttocks, becomes weaker. Because your buttocks muscles extend your hips and legs when you run and walk, it would call upon adjacent muscle groups to do their job, such as your lower back and hamstrings. This will cause fatigue in those muscles, which causes strains in those areas.
Prevention/Solution
One of the best ways to prevent posture-related injuries is to identify the type of poor posture you have and find how to correct it. Corrective exercises can address your posture deviation. These gentle exercise should be done several times daily for 10 to 20 minutes. Seek a qualified fitness or rehabilitation professional who is trained in corrective exercise and dealing with posture deviations.
In addition to corrective exercise training, other techniques that can help you improve your posture include chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy and Rolfing.
Sample Exercise
One exercise that strengthens your spine and help you stand taller is the standing wall press. This helps you strengthen the deep spinal and abdominal muscles while breathing deeply.
Stand with your back against the wall with your head, shoulders, buttocks, calves and the back of your hands touching the wall. Push your body and hands into the wall. You might feel some weight shift in your feet and want to lean your body forward. As you are pushing, take six to 10 deep breaths.
You may also slide your arms out to the sides and slowly slide them over your head like you are making a snow angel.
Benefits
Your body uses less energy when you maintain a healthy posture. Good posture allows you to maintain a strong core, which keeps your body upright and able to perform activities with reduced risks of injury. A healthy posture also helps you reduce your risk of arthritis, bursitis and other degenerative joint diseases.
References
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Before the Core"; Anthony Carey; 2006
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