Suffering from poor posture or wondering how to prevent poor posture? We’re here to help.
Text neck
With the increase in smartphone and tablet usage, our necks are prone to looking downwards more than ever. This leads to what is known as “anterior head carriage” or “text neck” where our necks jut out forward more than they should in proportion to the rest of our spine.
Text neck can lead to various symptoms including stiffness and pain in our necks, shoulders, and even as far down as our shoulder blades. This is because the spine and neck was made to complement each other with their natural curved structures – having our necks too far forward means that our neck takes extra load in certain positions. This extra load can lead to our joints becoming sore and stiff from being overworked. Similarly, our muscles may find it more difficult to relax as they help to hold us in the awkward position of looking down at our phones. With both muscle and joint becoming sore, it comes to no surprise that pain can develop as a result of text neck.
Upper crossed syndrome
Upper crossed syndrome develops as a result of muscle imbalances that can come through poor posture. Excessive slumping, forward head carriage and overusing our shoulder muscles without stretching can lead to our chest and back muscles becoming very tight or weak. Those with upper crossed syndrome are also more prone to develop a hunched upper back. In conjunction with the muscle imbalances, our spinal joints will often stiffen and become dysfunctional which can make it difficult to sit or stand straight.
Pelvic tilt
Another common postural issue is pelvic tilt. Pelvic tilt can be anterior or posterior – that is, it can tilt too far forward (anterior) or too far backwards (posterior). For example, in anterior pelvic tilt, the body’s weight shifts too much to the front. This causes an excessive “lordotic” curvature in our lower spine which can further stress our spinal joints and lead to hip, low back or leg pain. Similar to other postural issues, imbalances with our lower limb or core muscles can all contribute and aggravate the hip tilt.
Chiropractic and posture
Chiropractors are trained to identify and treat postural issues. At North Adelaide Chiropractic, a thorough history and examination will determine what the postural problem is and what is causing it. A treatment plan catered for your needs will then be established.
Treatments for poor posture can include, but are not limited to, adjustments for dysfunctional joints, soft tissue therapies for strained or tight muscles, biomechanical blocking for hip tilt, rehabilitative exercises, and workplace ergonomic advice.
If required, our chiropractor may decide to send you for an x-ray to rule out other conditions.
If you want to receive the best treatment for your postural pain in Adelaide, call North Adelaide Chiropractic today on 8361 8182. We also accept walk-ins – you can find us conveniently located at the North Adelaide Medical Centre on Tynte Street, close to the Adelaide CBD and surrounding northern Adelaide suburbs.