Why your posture matters

Let's have an honest discussion right now.  How are you reading this?  Are you hunched over your desk? Slouching on the couch with your neck bent down over the phone?  Laying in bed reading this upwards and poking out your chin?

If you answered yes to any of these questions keep reading, because you aren't doing your body any favors.

TL/DR- Stand up straight, stop slouching, incorporate movement into your day, don't overload your purse or backpack, and see the professionals (that would be me, haha) to get a massage.


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I see it time and time again in my practice.   My lovely guest is filling out their intake form and we get to the question "what would you like to work on today?".


9 times out of 10 what goes down on the form is T&S, which is my own abbreviated shorthand for "traps and scaps" or your trapezius and muscles of the scapula.


Why are so many of us carrying so much tension here?  One answer is stress and while that can be a BIG component, it's also about your posture (which can also be affected by stress, but that's a whole different post).
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In today's fast moving world, we are constantly on the go, multi tasking, and more often than not using our digital devices.  All of these lead to some major postural issues.


Let's look at something called "tech neck" which is when we lean over to compensate looking down at our phones or computers.   For every inch you tilt forward, the amount of pressure on your spine DOUBLES.  Yes, you heard that right, doubles.   

Then we have our slouchers.   When you slouch on your couch (I feel a little like Dr Suess here), you put unnecessary strain on the discs in your lower back.  You won't feel it instantly, but over time this creates wear and tear, as well as exacerbates in underlying postural conditions you may already have.

We also have a big problem of carrying overloaded backpacks, purses and bags and creating even more strain.  There is even a term for it now- handbag syndrome. 



So how do we fix this, and not only alleviate back pain, but prevent future injury as well?

-The first is pretty obvious.  Fix your posture.  Stop the slouch, strengthen the core, hold your head up high.  You know the drill, when your mama said sit up straight, that's what she meant.

-The second is to add some gentle stretches and various movements into your day.  Humans weren't made to sit still in a cubicle or at a desk all day.  Take short breaks and do some chair yoga, take a walk around your building, touch your toes or do some sun salutations, calf stretches or raises  while waiting in line, you get the idea.  Find the time to do these "micro movements" through the day.  They add up.

-If you carry a purse or backpack make sure you aren't overloading it.  It should never be more than 10% of your weight (and let's be real....I'm a mom and our purses/bags/Mary Poppins trunks can easily be much more).

-Finally, and you knew I was going to say this one.....get a massage!

Yes, it feels amazing, but more than that we are trained to relieve tension and knots, and release the fascia....which leads to....you guessed it, better posture.   When you let your body relax, and release those points of pressure, you automatically are able to carry and align your body better.  Not only that, we know our stuff(if I do say so myself), so don't be surprised when we give you "homework".  Yep, we can help you find self care stretches and ways to alleviate the tension in between visits.  If you are ready to come in, CLICK HERE, and it will take you directly to our online booking site.

So...stand up straight, move a little more, and contact us today to book a treatment. 




References-


https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25393825/

https://www.healthline.com/health/lower-back-pain-when-sitting#causes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5441201/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/5053206/heavy-purse-health-risks/%3famp=true