What is Poor Posture?
Posture is a broad term that refers to the way your body is positioned when at rest. Having good posture typically means that you’re maintaining a neutral spine and minimizing stress on the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the body. Poor posture, on the other hand, is characterized by uncomfortable and unnatural positioning of the spine. Common postural defects include forward tilting of the head carriage, rounding of the shoulders, or hunching of the back.
Fortunately, poor posture is usually a fixable problem. Physical therapy, changes in lifestyle habits, and upper cervical chiropractic care can make a world of difference in your posture, health, and confidence.
Signs and Symptoms of Poor Posture
The most common signs of poor posture are a slanting neck, a hunched back (kyphosis), an excessively straight spine (military neck), or an internal arch to the lower back (lumbar lordosis). Particularly severe cases of poor posture may be accompanied by persistent stiffness, chronic pain, headaches, and balance issues.
Left untreated, poor posture can become a source of significant stress on major joints, muscles, and vertebrae, potentially leading to more serious issues like spinal dysfunction and joint degeneration.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Posture
The upper cervical spine is the topmost segment of the spine and plays a key role in supporting and stabilizing the head carriage and neck. An often-overlooked cause behind the development of poor posture is injury or vertebral misalignment along the upper cervical spine. When one or more of these vertebrae are misaligned, the muscles of the back and neck will attempt to compensate for the ensuing imbalance in spinal column stability. Over time, the imbalance can strain and compress key muscle groups, leading to the development of common postural defects and ultimately, poor posture.
How Our Upper Cervical Spine Treatment for Fixing Posture Works
Our upper cervical chiropractic specialist, Dr. Gordon Elder, is a trained practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This technique uses precise, non-invasive correction techniques to restore natural alignment to the upper cervical spine, re-establishing healthy postural habits and rebooting the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
Dr. Elder’s approach to fixing poor posture starts with a 25-30-minute consultation to assess your postural issues and examine your spine. Leveraging advances in non-invasive diagnostic technologies, Dr. Elder will use a range of 3-D imaging tools in order to determine whether you are suffering from a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine.
If a misalignment is detected, Dr. Elder will use Blair chiropractic correction techniques to gently and precisely coax the vertebrae back into their natural position. We strongly recommend that all our patients return for regular check-ups (for at least 3-5 months) to ensure their adjustment has set. This is especially important for individuals suffering from poor posture, as it will take time to develop good postural habits. Most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder to achieve long-lasting/permanent results.
If you’re sick of living with poor posture, get in touch today to speak with Dr. Gordon Elder about the health of your upper cervical spine. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Dr. Elder also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.