Improving Posture in West Omaha, NE

Tech Neck

In today’s world, it is common for a person to spend four or more hours per day on their phones or other digital devices. When utilizing technology, our posture tends to be hunched over with our necks bent. Looking down at phones, tablets, or computers for that length of time can put an endangering amount of stress on the cervical and thoracic spine.

How long are we spending in this position? Research shows that a typical high school student spends 5,000 hours per year with poor posture due to using cell phones and other mobile devices. This forward head posture increases the stress on the spine and puts an extra 10 pounds of pressure on the cervical spine for each additional inch of forward head posture. This can cause a loss of the curvature of the cervical spine, stretching the spinal cord and interrupting the normal healthy flow of nerve impulses.

But why does that matter? A healthy cervical spine allows for proper nerve flow and less overall stress on the body. This can result in fewer headaches and a better immune system.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Sitting is the new smoking. Have you heard this phrase? It’s true! Inactivity has just as much of an impact, if not more than smoking does on our collective health. Many people spend 8-10 hours each day sitting at a desk or other workspace. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that posture-related issues in the workplace are responsible for 34% of all lost workdays from injuries and illnesses. In addition to the hours spent at a desk, there is the commute time to and from work or family activities and the time on the couch or recliner in the evening.

Think about your typical posture in each of these situations. When most people sit at a desk, the desk is not set up with proper ergonomics. Think about your own desk setup. Is your monitor at eye level, or are you looking down at your screen because it is in your lap in the recliner or on a shorter desk or table? Does your chair height allow for a neutral spine while sitting with your feet touching the floor? There are so many factors to assess regarding your posture if you must sit that much on a daily basis. Ideally, we would reduce prolonged periods of sitting to allow for more frequent movement and better health.

Stress

Stress from any of the three categories of stressors (thoughts, traumas, and toxins) will cause changes in your physical body. Muscles tighten, posture clenches inward resulting in shallow breathing, and stress hormone levels elevate. A study at Columbia and Harvard demonstrated that improved posture changed participants’ hormone levels, resulting in decreased cortisol and increased testosterone, allowing the body to handle stressful situations better.

In today’s world, it is impossible to avoid stress, but we can ensure that our body is in the best position to manage the physical effects of stress when it occurs. Improved posture allows for proper hormone production and better nervous system function. If we are in a constant state of stress, our nervous system gets overloaded. By having proper posture and spinal alignment, we can ensure that messages are properly flowing through our nervous system to best help us adapt to stressful situations.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a common diagnosis that describes abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. When viewed from the front, the bones of the spine should be stacked on top of one another. Scoliosis occurs when spinal misalignments result in vertebrae shifting laterally (to the left or right), causing a curve in the spine where it would normally appear straight. Spinal misalignments and the resulting abnormal curvature place additional stress on joints and nerves, which leads to pain and dysfunction throughout the body.

The most common age of scoliosis onset is during adolescence. However, since the abnormal curvature must be 10° or more to be classified as scoliosis, the misalignments that cause the curvature have likely been present in the spine for a long time. This means that spinal checkups by a chiropractor are vitally important to ensure children’s proper musculoskeletal and neurological development. When a misalignment is caught early, there is potential to correct it before it progresses to the severity required for a scoliosis diagnosis.