The Effects Of Bad Posture On Growth

Your posture is the base of your support for standing, sitting and lying down. Good posture is necessary for keeping your body balanced and supported. It protects against injury, provides shock absorption and prevents stress and pain. Poor posture start young and can affect the normal growth and development of your spine, leading to future problems.

Identification

Posture is your body's position against gravity, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A healthy back has three natural curves in the spine, producing good posture. There should be an inward or forward curve at your neck, an outward or backward curve at your upper back and an inward curve at your lower back. Having good posture puts the least amount of strain on your body, preventing muscular pain and fatigue. Good posture during growth and development keeps your bones and joints in correct alignment and prevents abnormal wear and tear, as well as keeping your spine from becoming fixed in an abnormal position.

Womb Development

Repetitive stress syndrome is the result of repetitive stress that occurs to your musculoskeletal system. Bad posture can begin in the womb. Constraint, or unnecessary force, to the fetal spine can cause a problem in the musculoskeletal system during the last trimester, according to the Dynamic Chiropractic website. If a baby does not engage in the vertex position-- that is, his head does not enter the birth canal first -- he may develop complications such as hip dislocation or vertebral subluxation. Congenital hip dislocation, or developmental dysplasia of the hip, can cause one leg to be shorter than the other, resulting in an abnormal gait. If left untreated, this poor posture can lead to arthritis, pain and a decrease in mobility. Vertebral subluxation is when one or more of the bones in the spine move out of position and put pressure on the spinal nerves. This posture can lead to spinal disc and joint arthritis later in life, resulting from the pinched nerves and an abnormal gait, according to The Posture Page website.

Infant Development

Infants kept in baby carriers for several hours may suffer from repetitive stress syndrome. This type of constraint may limit an infant's ability to to stretch and wiggle her spine, according to the Dynamic Chiropractic website. Weight-bearing positions, found with baby bouncers or walkers, can also lead to micro-repetitive stress syndrome. Infants four to 11 months old are not developed enough to bear their own weight, and this can lead to orthopedic or spinal problems later in life. Stomach sleeping, popular with infants, can affect the cervical and upper thoracic spine and lead to vertebral subluxation. This abnormality in posture can lead to spinal disc and joint arthritis.

Child Development

School-age children can develop bad posture habits from spending a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, television or video game. Children are also at risk for developing backpack syndrome. Backpacks can weigh anywhere from 10 to 45 lbs., and the body compensates for the extra weight, shifting the spine out of alignment. Wearing a backpack improperly can lead to back, shoulder and neck pain. If it is overloaded, lifted incorrectly or carried on one shoulder, soft tissues in the back become strained, according to the Spine Universe website. This can lead to damage of the spinal column and muscular imbalances.