POSTURAL IMBALANCES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
May 8, 2023
Remember the days of parents and grandparents nagging you to “stand up straight” and “STOP slouching”? Wasn’t that annoying? Well … they were right. Posture has huge influences on health.
Gradual shifts of body position over time slowly weaken the muscles and ligaments while wearing away at joints and discs. Forward head posture is one of the leading causes of neck, upper back and shoulder pain. Chronic pain syndromes, headaches and jaw issues may appear if arthritic changes progress and postural imbalances remain uncorrected. 1,2,3
Research has shown that not only can faulty posture be a pain in the neck, but the effects of poor posture can also pose significant health risks to many systems in the body, specifically the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems. 4
“Posture affects and moderates every physiologic function from breathing to
hormonal production. Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse and lung
capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture.” 5
The chiropractic adjustment is very effective in reducing pain caused by joint restriction (fixation) and malposition (subluxation). However, if poor posture is the cause of these subluxations, symptoms are likely to recur if your posture is not corrected. For that reason, Integrity chiropractors, Dr. Leatherman and Dr. Bak, have both completed over 200 hours of post-doctoral training in CHIROPRACTIC BIOPHYSICS (CBP), and continually train to specifically correct postural imbalances of the spine. 6
So what is Posture, Ideal Posture or an Ideal Spine?
Posture is the way your body is held in space – standing and sitting under gravity (gravitational load). If your body has proper posture, there is balance to your physical structures and your spine requires minimal effort to maintain your body in a neutral position. Certain physical structures in your body line up correctly with your center of gravity.
At Integrity Chiropractic, our doctors evaluate your posture visually from the front and the side as well as measure it on x-rays for a complete analysis. This has been extensively studied and normative values have been published. 7, 8, 9
There are over 220 published papers on CBP technique of correcting abnormal postures towards normal. Ask your CBP chiropractor to evaluate your posture according to the literature. 10
Typical Body Stressors of Bad Posture
Medical doctors have reported, and chiropractors agree that for every inch that your head is held forward, an additional 10 pounds of pressure is placed on the supporting tissues of your neck and shoulders. Muscles along the rear of your neck and the upper back are required to accommodate for this extra load. As a result, they’ll experience greater stress and strain. 11
Whenever the position of your body moves away from its center of gravity, your joints are taken out of their normal, stress-free positions and initiates abnormal wear and tear. Over time, joint cartilage erosion, bone spurs and pinched nerves are evidence of this phenomenon.
Common symptoms and pain presentation of poor posture may include:
- Headaches: back of the head, front of the head and the sides of the head.
- Muscle pain (aching or burning) and tightness
- Nerve pain (shooting, sharp or aching) traveling down the arm or leg
- Joint pain (aching, sharp or stabbing) and restriction
- Ligament or tendon pain (aching, sharp or diffuse)
- Loss of range of motion, stiffness, tightness, inability to look over your shoulders.
Without a trained Chiropractor, here are three quick self-tests you can perform to evaluate posture:
- Look in a mirror. Eyes, ears, shoulders, elbows, hands and hips should each line up horizontally from left to right. You should also be able to draw a straight line from the ground upward which centers to the body from your knees, pelvis, belly button, sternum, chin, nose and forehead.
- Stand with your heels, back and buttocks against a wall. Does your head easily rest against the wall too? If it doesn’t, you may have an increased back curve and definitely have forward head posture.
- Lie down on your back on a hard surface. Does your head rest on the floor? Can you look straight up to the ceiling? If you feel your head tilt backward, or aren’t looking straight above you, your upper or lower back curve may be the cause of your faulty posture.
The basics of Improving Posture 12, 13
- Be aware. Practicing awareness of your posture is a first step to correcting it.
- Check the ergonomics of your desk/workspace and correct for poor postures while seated. At Integrity Chiropractic we have our patients get pictures of their workspace with them interacting in it so that we can correctly modify it to reduce spinal stress.
- Take regular breaks from sitting at a computer. Research shows a strong correlation between neck pain and lengthy computer usage. 14
- Use a proper pillow for sleep. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
- Stretch muscles that are too tight, and strengthen the weak postural muscles. A properly trained chiropractor can teach you correct techniques.
- Get adjusted. When your spine moves properly, it has the best chance to position itself properly.
- Seek out a CBP certified Chiropractor to correct the spine with mirror image traction. 15
REFERENCES:
- Gore DR, Sepic SB & Gardner GM. Roentgenographic findings of the cervical spine in asymptomatic people. Spine 1986 Jul-Aug; 11(6): 521-4.
- Gore DR. Roentgenographic findings in the cervical spine in asymptomatic persons: a 10-year follow-up. Spine 2001 Nov 15; 26(22): 2463-6.
- Saunders ES, Woggon D, Cohen C & Robinson DH. Improvement of cervical lordosis and reduction of forward head posture with anterior head weighting and proprioceptive balancing protocols. J Vertebral Subluxation Res 2003 Apr 27: 1-5.
- Martin-Du Pan RC, Benoit R & Girardier L. The role of body position and gravity in the symptoms and treatment of various medical diseases. Swiss Med Wkly 2004 Sep 18; 134(37-38):543-51.
- American journal of Pain Mangement. 1994; 4: 36-39
- Wallace HL, Jahner S, Buckle K, Desai N. The relationship of changes in cervical curvature to Visual Analog Scale, Neck Disability Index Scores and pressure algometry in patients with neck pain. Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation 1994; 9(1): 19-23
- Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1996 Mar 15;21(6):667-75. Comparisons of lordotic cervical spine curvatures to a theoretical ideal model of the static sagittal cervical spine. Harrison DD1, Janik TJ, Troyanovich SJ, Holland B.
- J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1997 May;20(4):246-56. Evaluation of the assumptions used to derive an ideal normal cervical spine model. Harrison DD1, Janik TJ, Troyanovich SJ, Harrison DE, Colloca CJ.
- J Spinal Disord. 1997 Oct;10(5):380-6. Radiographic mensuration characteristics of the sagittal lumbar spine from a normal population with a method to synthesize prior studies of lordosis. Troyanovich SJ1, Cailliet R, Janik TJ, Harrison DD, Harrison DE.
- https://cbpnonprofit.com/
- Cailliet R. Soft Tissue Pain and Disability. Philadelphia: FA Davis Co.,1977
- American Chiropractic Association. Tips to Maintain Good Posture. http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm? CID=1452
- Canadian Chiropractic Association. Back Facts: Posture. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca
- Smith L, Louw Q, Crous L & Grimmer- Somers K. Prevalence of neck pain and headaches: impact of computer use and other associative factors. Cephalgia 2009 Feb; 29(2): 250-7.
- www.Idealspine.com/directory/
Otherwise known as a Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC)
As a Sports Injury trained Chiropractor, with over 150 post-doctoral training hours with the American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians, Dr. Leatherman often has to discuss this topic. When our Integrity docs see someone stretching BEFORE running, cycling, tennis, swimming, or any other sport, they worry that the person doesn't know much about muscles. Integrity docs further know that they are actually INCREASING their injury potentials.
Did you make 2020 New Year’s resolutions? Every year, Integrity Chiropractic always sets new goals for excellent patient experiences. A good portion of Americans make resolutions at the start of every year. However did you know that January 17th is known as “Ditch Day.” That is the specific day associated with quitting your New Year’s resolution. So what’s the best way to make your goals achievable? Today on Ditch Day, Integrity Chiropractic shares statistics on New Year’s resolutions and reveals strategies to ensure success. Additionally, we’ll give tips for increasing your overall health and wellness (which should always be one of your top resolutions).
Low back pain is an established worldwide problem. At Integrity Chiropractic, we deal with this debilitating issue on a daily basis. It’s estimated that approximately 80% of the North American population will experience significant low back pain at some point in their adult lives. Word wide estimates range between 50–80% of adults experiencing low back pain in their life. (1,2,3) in fact, low back pain (LBP) is the second most common cause of disability in US adults with an estimated 149 million days of work lost per year. (4) It is no surprise that people are increasingly seeking chiropractic care to find relief. The link between low back pain incidence and obesity is alarming. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease control, CDC, the prevalence of being overweight was 70.2 % in 2013-2104 using NHANES data. Just the obesity portion of that number was 42.4% in 2017-2018. (5,6) Evidence confirms that obesity seriously impacts the spine and musculoskeletal system, increasing the risk of low back pain as well as osteoarthritis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. (7) Studies have even shown that people who underwent surgery to help them lose weight experienced less low back pain, the link is genuine. (8, 9)
The shoulder is the one structure that relies on all major areas of your spine for proper function – your neck (cervical spine), your upper back (thoracic spine) and your lower back (lumbar spine) – therefore it is super relevant to spine function and chiropractic applications.
The traffic light is red. Your vehicle is completely stopped … and then B-A-N-G! Your vehicle is thrust forward, your spine lengthens and rises in the seat, your head snaps rearward, your body bounces off the seat-back into the harness system, the harness restrains your torso, your head and neck now rebound shifting forward, (this all happens in less than 600 mili-seconds) you’re dazed! Then the realization …. You were just smashed from behind! Was it an accident? NO! Accidents are when you trip, spill milk, or drop things. This is a MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH (MVC). (1) When your vehicle is rear-ended, the neck and head bear the brunt of the forces. Nerves, ligaments and muscles are stretched beyond their natural limits due to abnormal motion in the lower neck vertebra which differs from normal motion. Injuries also happen in normal ranges of motion. (2) It’s the transfer of energy in less than ½ a second that causes the damage. Whiplash Injuries often occur at speeds less than 2-5 mph as well because vehicles bounce instead of crushing which increases the forces to the occupants of the vehicle. In fact there is no known minimal threshold for injury! Despite possibly feeling fine afterward, you may have just received a common yet serious whiplash injury. Dr. Leatherman and Dr. Bak will tell you that it’s a deceiving injury, because whiplash is NOT a diagnosis, it is a mechanism. Pain may come on quickly or you may not develop symptoms for hours, weeks, or months. Your neck (cervical spine) contains muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs, joints and nerves confined to a relatively small area. Whiplash mechanism can injure all these body components. Although it happens most frequently in rear-impact crashes, whiplash can occur in other crash directions: side-impact, frontal-impact, and offset angular impacts. Besides the head, neck and upper back, pain from a whiplash Injury often extend into other areas of the body, such as the shoulders, arms, as well as the low back, hips, legs, knees and feet. You may also suffer muscle stiffness, spasms, burning or tingling sensations as well as headaches and numbness. Even if you don’t have any immediate whiplash symptoms, you should visit a chiropractor who has been trained in MVC injury as soon as possible.
Patients presenting with Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain tend to think they either have sciatica or tail-bone pain, and its common practice for doctors to the link low back pain with protruding disc even when neurological signs are absent. Pain caused by sacroiliac joint dysfunction can mimic discogenic (pain from the disc) or radicular low back pain, although, SI joint dysfunction is a distinct condition of its own. At Integrity Chiropractic, our doctors are keenly aware of the differences of pain presentations and utilize diagnostic skills to diagnose the SI joints, vs. facet joints, vs. disc, vs. ligamentous instability as the source of your pain.
Considerations for Car Crash Injured Patients
Integrity Chiropractors understand that when a baby is in distress and inconsolable, it’s not only the child who suffers. A colicky infant affects the psychological, emotional and physical health of the entire family. At Integrity, all of the doctors are parents too, we get it. According to medical literature, infantile colic is diagnosed by the rule of three:
Did you know that Moms, fetuses and babies all have spines? Chiropractic physicians know it, and have been adjusting pregnant mothers and treating pregnant and infant spines for over 100 years. At Integrity Chiropractic, we have been treating pregnant moms and babies for over 16 years with the consent and encouragement of their midwives and OB/GYN’s. In fact, OB/GYN’s count for the largest amount of medical referrals to the Integrity Chiropractic office. Even now, this care is sometimes scrutinized and criticized by some medical personnel who are not familiar with the benefits. Interestingly enough, published research as far back as 1911, 1918, 1946 and 1952 in the osteopathic profession has shown the benefits of spinal manipulation in pregnancy. (1,2,3,4) Growing research has shown chiropractic care to be a safe and effective treatment for pregnant mothers. Studies have reported that 50% of all women complain of lower back pain during pregnancy, and 75% experience back labor. (5,6,7,8) Dr. Leatherman and Dr. Bak’s wives were both adjusted throughout their pregnancies, and even in the delivery room. As the baby grows, the additional weight increases stress on the back, postural shifts rapidly occur, and hormonal changes begin to relax the supporting ligament tissues of the spine and pelvis. This often leads to increasing aches and pains among other problems.
