Good posture isn’t only beneficial for making you look taller and more confident, it actually plays a large part in the health and function of your back and neck. Poor posture is often indicated by a curved or rounded upper back, also known as slouching. This type of posture pulls your shoulders forward and can make them feel stiff while causing pain in the upper back. Poor posture can also be noticed when the curvature of your spine near the base of the back is overextended or the lower back appears arched. While sometimes poor posture is caused by the development of the bone, such as in cases of scoliosis, it is often due to muscle tension, spinal misalignment, and issues with the joints. A trained chiropractor can help resolve these issues and get you standing up straighter with your head held high.
How A Chiropractor Helps Your Posture
Determine The Cause Of Bad Posture
Often, we don’t realize when our posture isn’t proper; we slouch over the computer, we sit funny in our office chairs, we tilt our head to keep the phone to our ear. Whatever it may be, a lot of the behavior that leads to poor posture is not something we’re aware of. A discussion with your chiropractor will help determine what the cause of your poor posture is so that it can be properly addressed.
Examine Your Posture
Your chiropractor will do a hands-on, physical examination of your posture. This may involve viewing your stance from all sides and taking notes about any asymmetry, slouching, or irregular back curvature. They may also feel your back muscles and spine, as well as your neck and shoulders. This examination will help them determine deficiencies in your posture and how to address it. This physical examination can also help them determine if your spine is out of alignment or if your muscles are tensed.
Readjustment
Poor posture can cause elements in your back and shoulders to move out of place, and vice versa. You may need a realignment of the spine, an adjustment of the joints, or a loosening of the muscles to help everything get back into its proper position. Some of these adjustments might make a cracking noise similar to cracking your knuckles, but other adjustments will be silent and will help to alleviate joint stress. Some discomfort may be relieved as soon as adjustments are made but others will take time and stretching to fully resolve. It is also possible to feel sore after adjustments. Drink plenty of water after your chiropractic appointment to help reduce any achiness.
Muscle Release
When muscles are underused, weak, or injured, other muscles will tense up as a result. This can pull the shoulders or back into unhealthy positions and make posture worse while also causing pain. Once the muscles tense, they will often continue to tense until they are no longer physically able to and it can lead to painful muscle spasms. To help release your muscles, a chiropractor will often give a preliminary and quick muscle relaxation similar to a massage and will try to help release muscles by performing adjustments.
Rehabilitation Homework
Receiving chiropractic care once is often not enough to fix your posture or related pain. Your chiropractor will instruct you to do certain stretches at home to loosen the muscles. Your chiropractor may also give you exercises to strengthen the underused muscles to avoid future tensing. These exercises will help to reduce pain while fixing posture, as it will improve muscle strength to help keep everything in place.
Irvine Chiropractic Care To Help Posture
If you have poor posture or if you are suffering from back and/or neck pain, chiropractic care can help. A visit to an Irvine chiropractor clinic can help you to stand up straighter and alleviate pain while giving you the tools to keep your body healthy and maintain your posture going forward. For a session with an experienced Irvine chiropractor, visit Performance Health and Wellness. Our expert, qualified staff can help you identify the habits in your life that are contributing to poor posture and body pain and we will work with you to develop personalized care and a customized plan to alleviate these. If you’re ready to start standing straighter and minimize back and neck pain, contact Performance Health and Wellness Irvine chiropractor clinic at 1-949-476-1250 or fill out the online contact form.
FAQ
What type of education and training do chiropractors have?
Chiropractors are primary contact healthcare providers who specialize in the musculoskeletal system. Many chiropractors complete 4 years of pre-medical undergraduate college education and lab work before going to an accredited chiropractic college where they learn about orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation, and more. Many chiropractors also have areas of specialization or certain accreditations, such as those trained in Active Release Technique (ART®). To learn more about the extensive qualifications of our Irvine chiropractors, meet our team here.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A joint or spinal adjustment usually uses a quick movement to add motion to spinal joints that are not moving correctly. This helps the joints to correctly move again and sometimes slightly changes their position and puts them back into their correct place. An adjustment is not the same thing as when a person “cracks” or “pops” their joints and it is not recommended to try to give yourself a spinal adjustment as it can worsen the joint or cause damage. Only receive adjustments by professional chiropractors.
Does chiropractic care hurt?
No. Chiropractic care can sometimes cause mild muscle soreness after a session but other than that it is completely pain-free. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and drug-free approach that treats various musculoskeletal conditions and their symptoms, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, limited movement, muscle spasms, and more.
