Most of the patients who visit our London chiropractic clinic, MotionBack, do so because they are suffering pain. Most frequently this is back pain, however, other common symptoms they may be suffering include pain in other areas of their body such as the neck, shoulder and leg. Other patients find that they are suffering recurring headaches and migraines.
It comes as a surprise to patients that they pain they are experiencing often stems from postural changes. These postural adaptations can often be related to the type of work that they do, they way they carry themselves or repetitive tasks that they perform.
Why do postural changes have such a wide-ranging impact on the body? They commonly cause increased loading to joints and muscles resulting in restriction of movement, increased muscle tightness and sometimes pain.
In this post, our London chiropractor is going to cover what good posture looks like and symptoms that may highlight that your posture is in need of improving. If it is, you may want to work on improving it before it leads to more significant problems.
What is Posture?
Put simple, posture is the way you hold your body. There are two types of posture, one being Dynamic and the other Static. Dynamic is the way you hold yourself when you are moving and Static is the way you hold yourself when you are not moving,
It’s important that you maintain both good dynamic and static posture.
What Does A Healthy Posture Look Like?
The first thing to check is the natural curves in your spine. There are three curves, the cervical curve of the neck (concave), thoracic curve of the back (convex) and the lumbar curve of the lower back (concave). The curves in a healthy posture should be maintained and not increased in anyway.
Secondly, when looking side-on at your posture, your ears should be directly above your shoulders, your shoulder should line up with your hips, and the hips should line up with your ankles.
Are You Experiencing Common Symptoms Of Poor Posture?
There are several common symptoms that may highlight that your posture needs improving. These include:
- Suffering back pain
- Experiencing aches and pains in your joints and muscles
- Feelings of muscle fatigue
- Displaying rounded shoulders
- Developing a potbelly
- Having a forward or backward leaning head
- A Curved neck
- Recurring headaches
5 Ways To Improve Your Posture
#1 Check Your Posture
From time to time during the day check your posture. This may be when you are sitting on the sofa or at your desk, standing up, walking or doing the dishes.
#2 Take regular exercise
Having a strong core is highly beneficial to having a good posture. Doing exercsies that strengthen the core muscles including those around your back, abdomen and pelvis will help improve your posture. Exercise classes that focus on body awareness, such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi can also be very beneficial. However, staying active and taking any form of exercise can help.
#3 Maintain a healthy weight
Carrying extra weight can be detrimental to your posture as it may weaken your abdominal muscles, trigger issues in your pelvis and spine and be a contributory factor in causing low back pain.
#4 Wear appropriate footwear
While high heels have their place, these kinds of footwear force you to walk differently and throws off your balance. Choosing a comfortable, well-fitting, low-heeled shoe is beneficial for good posture.
#5 Adapt worksurfaces to your height
Daily activities, such as sitting at a computer which isn’t positioned well or working at a kitchen countertop that’s too low can all negatively impact our posture and cause problems. Ensuring that work surfaces are at an acceptable height will go a long way to helping your posture.
Visiting Our London Chiropractic Clinic
Our chiropractors at MotionBack believe that many of the symptoms they see in patients every day is related to their posture. When you visit our chiropractic clinic in London, you will receive a thorough consultation and as part of this consultation you will receive a postural assessment. Out chiropractors will explain how your posture impacts on your health and how it may be contributing to the symptoms you are experiencing.
These are just a few of the feedbacks we have receive from patients who have visited out clinic with various symptoms and have experienced positive results from the treatment and self-care advice our chiropractors have provide to them.
Poor Posture
“Have been going to see Andy regularly for a few years due to my bad posture from sitting/computer work. Walk out of there feeling like a new person every single time! He is really thoughtful about treatment and has been helping me ensure I keep up with exercises and posture at home. Can’t recommend enough!” Irina K – 5-Star Google Review
Lower Back Pain
“Working with Andy over the last couple of weeks has transformed my experience of lower back pain, and greatly improved bodily alignment and posture. I’d recommend him to anyone looking for an experienced, knowledgeable and highly skilled chiropractor. “Philip R – 5-Star Google Review
Neck & Back Pain
“I initially saw Andy in 2018 for my recurring neck and back pain. I highly recommend MotionBack to my colleagues and friends and they are equally impressed and happy with the results they’ve experienced. Andy corrected my bad posture and painful back problems very quickly and couldn’t be a safer pair of hands if you’re nervous about seeing a chiropractor. Quite simply, the best!” Hal S – 5-Star Google Review
Leg Pain
“I was treated by Andy at Motion Back when I came to him with severe pain down my left leg. Within 3 treatments (once per week) I was completely pain free which felt like somewhat of a miracle as I’d been to see 3 other practitioners in London who weren’t able to solve the issue. I was also gave me some home exercises to do which have been helping to improve my posture overall. Highly recommended!” Azmat C – 5-Star Google Review
Headaches
“Highly recommend MotionBack! After suffering with headaches for nearly a year, Andy quickly diagnosed the issue and was help to quickly alleviate tension & pain in my neck + back. My headaches have gone and I’m continuing to see improvements with my posture.” Ruth A – 5-Star Google Review
To book an appointment with one of our chiropractic team call our clinic on 0207112 5408 or you can book online on our website here.