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How Poor Posture Impacts Your Spine

As the community outreach coordinator of our office, I am constantly stepping out of the office and into the community to promote Chiropractic to people who have never even considered going to a Chiropractor before. So whether it’s the local gym, YMCA or Senior Center, our office serves tons of people in the Fremont community by offering complimentary spine checks and posture analyses.

One statement I hear frequently whenever I ask a prospective patient whether they would like to get their posture examined or spine checked, is the following response: “Oh I already know my posture is horrible!” My response is almost always, “Oh no! Really? Well, do you know how poor posture might be affecting your health?” The look I almost always get back in return is one of confusion and bewilderment.

Most people I encounter have some inkling that having poor posture can’t be good for them, but many people have no idea how wearing a heavy purse on one shoulder, slouching your shoulders forward as you stare at a computer screen, or crossing one leg over the other when sitting, could have drastic effects on the health of your spine over time.

I came across an article recently from the New York Daily News with the heading “Texting can Put Pounds of Pressure on the Spine”. In the article, the writer talks about how research has been done recently showing how hours of texting leads to dangerous amounts of pressure into the cervical spine. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

 

“Bending your head at a 60-degree angle to send and receive texts puts 60 pounds of pressure on your cervical spine — the part of your spine above the shoulders — according to a new study in the journal Surgical Technology International.

And with humans spending an average 2 to 4 hours each day with their neck bent for texting, all that extra weight adds up.

Loss of the natural curve of the cervical spine … may lead to early wear, tear, degeneration and possible surgeries,” according to author Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj, Chief of Spine Surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine.

The head naturally weighs 10 to 12 pounds when it’s upright, but bending causes gravity to pull on it. Bending your head a lesser degree puts less weight on the spine, but it’s still not preferable: just tilting your head 15 degrees adds 27 extra pounds of pressure, according to the study.

Previous research into good posture suggests it boosts serotonin and testosterone levels and also reduces the stress hormone cortisol. It’s even tied to personality traits — people with good posture are thought to be more risk-takers, whereas people with bad posture often have worse mental and physical health, everything from headaches to constipation to depression.”

The remedy here is pretty obvious.”

“Individuals should make an effort to look at their phones with a neutral spine and to avoid spending hours each day hunched over,” said Hansraj.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/texting-puts-pounds-pressure-spine-study-article-1.2013885

This article made me smile because this is exactly the kind of information that I try to tell our patients ALL THE TIME! And it’s the exact information that Chiropractors have been telling patients for decades. Especially in our tech-savy world today, more than ever it is crucial to make sure we have the proper posture that is going to maintain a healthy spine. A healthy spine means a better, healthier, and brighter quality of life.

At Discover Chiropractic, we detect and correct subluxations caused by years of poor posture to relieve pain, restore motion into the joints, and stop spinal degeneration from getting worse. Our doctors also give proper instructions on how to change the bad postural habits so many people have grown accustomed to over the years and create good postural habits.

So please, next time you see someone you love with their head down looking at their cell phone or other gadgets, tell them about how Chiropractic care could benefit him or her for the long run.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tracy Yang, D.C.

Contact Dr. Tracy Yang at discoverchiropractic7@gmail.com to schedule Complimentary Posture Analyses/Spinal screenings at your local workplace/business for all your employees and loved ones today!

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