How Good Posture Benefits the Whole Body
Reduce pain and improve spinal health by developing good postural habits
Take a minute to think about your posture. As you read this, are you hunched over your phone? Slouching at your desk? Standing with your weight on one leg? While we rarely actively consider maintaining good posture, it’s actually essential to our body’s overall well-being. At Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Normandy, we can help you improve your posture so you can reap the benefits!
Poor posture is a major contributor to aches and pains throughout your body, not just your back. Your neck, knees, shoulders, and jaw can all be affected by poor posture, and in some cases, it can even cause headaches. Poor posture can also negatively affect balance and mobility.
At Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness, we take a holistic approach to physical therapy, meaning we look at how every part of the body is connected to every other. Because the spine is integral to your musculoskeletal system, improving your posture can have positive, wide-ranging effects.
If you want to learn more about how posture can benefit your overall health, call Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Normandy today!
What does good posture look like?
While we often say to “stand up straight” when correcting our posture, the natural shape of our spine is actually curved. Good posture is more about having good spinal alignment, with our head, hips, and feet following that alignment.
To achieve good spinal alignment, you want to ensure that your vertebrae are stacked on top of each other in a way that follows the spine’s natural curve. That curve helps our spine to absorb and redistribute the stress of our body’s movements like sitting, standing, walking, jumping, or running.
When we slouch, the vertebrae are no longer stacked as they should be, and the spine’s curve becomes exaggerated, rounding through the upper back and flattening the neck and lower back. Once this happens, our extremities can get thrown out of alignment, too, which is why poor posture can lead to pain in your knees, hips, shoulders, and head.
Furthermore, your muscles will need to work harder to hold your body up, leading to muscle fatigue and weakness. A misaligned spine can also affect breathing, blood circulation, and digestion. Maintaining your spine’s natural shape will hugely impact your entire body!
How physical therapy can help improve your posture
We don’t slouch out of laziness. Rather, slouching and poor posture occur because we get so wrapped up in other tasks that the shape of our spine is the last thing we’re thinking about. That’s why we suggest mindfulness as the first step toward improved posture. As you go about your day, try to periodically think about the shape of your spine and take a moment to correct it.
Exercise can also help improve your posture. Exercises such as yoga, tai chi, and dancing are particularly effective because they encourage body awareness and stress the importance of good posture. However, any form of exercise can help you become more aware of your body’s position, so staying active is a crucial part of spine health.
Strengthening your core is another important part of spine health. Your core consists of the muscles that wrap around your torso, and it plays a major role in providing stability to the spine.
What to expect from your appointment at Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness
When you come in for your first appointment, the physical therapists at Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Normandy will start by evaluating your current spinal alignment. We’ll perform a series of simple physical tests to get a sense of your spinal strengths and weaknesses, including the current state of your posture.
From there, we’ll provide you with education to improve your posture and overall spinal health. We’ll help your body awareness and suggest exercises designed to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine. We can also show you how to protect your spine from injury, particularly when lifting heavy objects.
We may also employ manual therapy on the spine, including spinal mobilizations. This hands-on treatment is designed to help move the spine back into alignment and reduce pain.
Request an appointment with Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness today!
At Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Normandy, we understand how important the spine is to your entire body. If you’re struggling with pain, particularly in the lower back or neck, it might be time to have one of our experts look at your spine.
Request an appointment with us today to take the first steps toward improved posture–and all the benefits that go with it.