Sit up tall. Stand up straight. These are words most of us heard often while growing up. But perfect posture is an ideal. Real people donít have perfect posture because posture is a result of how imperfect bodies move and adapt to old injuries, while living in the real world.Your posture is the end result of how you balance your body. There are definitely better (stronger) or worse (weaker) postures. Weak posture can be strengthened, but it involves more than just keeping your shoulders back and standing tall.Your spine is the structural support system of your body. How it supports you can be seen in your posture, which reveals weaknesses that can progressively worsen under the stresses of daily life as you age. Because your structure, spine and nervous system are the lifeline of health and energy to all the vital organs of your body; it is important to pay attention to your posture before severe health problems arise. Poorly balanced posture requires more energy to stay upright. These distortions can cause accelerated aging and may make you feel older than your chronological age because there is interference in the life-giving nerve supply to your organs.Postural distortions may look very slight on the outside; yet, they can cause rapid degeneration of your metabolism and immune system on the inside. Both systems are crucial for your overall health and vitality. Falls, car accidents, sports trauma and even the birth process can accelerate degeneration of the spine, lead to disability and is a known cause of morbidity. People with spinal injuries such as vertebral subluxation, which can cause degenerative changes and nerve interference, may not function as well in everyday life and may not enjoy the same quality of life as people with a healthy structure, spine and nervous system.Forward head posture, for instance, can lead to long term muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis and pinched nerves (Mayo Clinic). And Rene Calliet, MD states, ìFor every one inch of forward head posture it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds! Forward head posture may result in a loss of 30 percent of vital lung capacity.îWhen you have an injury, your body will move differently to avoid pain. Over time, the body will adapt. Even if there is no continued pain, unbalanced patterns of motion persist. The human body must balance to stand, so the brain adapts and adopts new muscle and joint positions. We believe we are standing straight because the brain is being told by our senses that we are balanced, even though the mirror shows us we are not.The body moves in patterns of motion, which adapt to each individualís body type, history of injuries and daily habits. Strong muscles lift more. Weak ligaments stretch more. The body adapts, creating a postural change or distortion (how people stand or walk). Over time, adaptive patterns of body motion cause increased stress to the body and can cause a breakdown of function. For instance; when you hold a phone between your shoulder and ear while talking on the phone, your neck twists to that side, stretching muscles on one side and contracting them on the other ñ or when sitting in front of the computer or driving; your shoulder slumps forward, causing weakness in the muscles of your back.A simple posture self-test can determine if you or a loved one, children included, have underlying conditions that can lead to chronic pain, disability and accelerated aging. A chiropractic examination and care can help find and correct the cause. Regular chiropractic care, along with regular exercise, good nutrition and a wellness outlook can help you become and remain a happy, healthy human being.Palmer Chiropractic is located in the Safeway shopping center. For more information, call 719-494-1395 or visithttp://palmer-chiropractic.com; http://falconchiro.com
