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Poor Posture

Chiropractors and Osteopaths are posture experts. Our Clinic Director and Lead Chiropractor, Dr Andy Green, is also a Certified Posture Expert with the American Posture Institute. Let us assess and correct your poor posture.

Posture is the window to the spine and poor posture can indicate there is a problem with a person’s spine and nervous system.  One of the first indicators of poor posture is a slouching or anterior head posture.  This poor posture reduces lymphatic drainage in the neck and will cause more strain on the posterior neck muscles.  It also increases the weight bearing on the discs and can lead to premature arthritis of the neck.  There are many causes of this type of posture including car accidents, sports injuries, working with computers and loss of bone density.

Why is Poor Posture Important?

Proper posture is crucial for all people throughout their life. There is not a day that goes by in which having a symmetric structure if the body is not important.  The American Posture Institute recommend everyone having their posture evaluated annually from the age of 6 years old.  This is the best age to start as it coincides with the start of schooling.  When children start attending school they develop new habits.  By detecting postural distortion patterns early the posture expert can discuss proper postural hygiene habits with the child and the parent from an early age.  The intention is to have posture by design, rather than a poor environment cause a permanent change in posture.

Kjaer et al (2005) performed research with low back MRI exams.  Their research showed that of 439 13 year old children, one third of them presented with lumbar disc degeneration!

Kado et al (2005) studied 1353 elderly people.  They discovered that people with a hyper-kyphotic (bent forward) posture have a 144% greater rate of mortality. The same researcher in 2007 estimated that between 20-40% of the adult population present with hyperkyphosis.

Common Factors Leading to Poor Posture?

  • Repetitive Occupational Movements
  • Living a Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Prolonged Sitting
  • Anterior Head Carriage
  • Improper Lifting Technique
  • Sitting on Your Wallet
  • Physical traumas
  • Sleeping on Your Stomach

Is Poor Posture When Sitting Making You Sick?

Prolonged sitting decreases your metabolic function, while increasing the pressure on the spine.  Sitting in the best way possible increases the pressure on your lower back by approximately 70%. Slouching increases this much further, and most people slouch!

The spine can withstand sitting for only 20 minutes before the intervertebral discs start absorbing the pressure.  This is why we recommend posture breaks every 20-30 minutes.  These breaks will lengthen contracted muscles and will ensure you switch on inactive muscles.

Research in 2005 found that it is not the total hours sitting that are the problem. Rather, it is how often you interrupt that sitting position that is good for you.  Vernikos (2005) states , “Its actually the change in posture that is the most powerful in terms of creating benefit on health, not the act of standing in itself.”

How Can Reflex Help you Change your Poor Posture?

At Reflex Spinal Health our expert team of Chiropractors and Osteopaths follow the American Posture Institutes specialised protocol. The aim is to improve, and effectively alter poor posture, by following their “ABC’s” of Posture.  The ABC’s are a postural correction strategy targeting Alignment, Balance, Core Control, and Stretching and Strengthening targeted muscle groups.  For complete postural correction individuals will need follow planned spinal rehabilitation exercises, in addition to the clinician led alignment protocol and posture habit re-eduaction.

Reflex Spinal Health

17 Church Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 7AA

  • +44 118 946 2100

About Us:

Reflex Spinal Health are a passionate, dynamic spinal health team. We are committed to help as many in our community of Reading, Berkshire and South Oxfordshire to enjoy the vitality of great health, to reach their health goals and feel truly alive! Our chiropractors and osteopaths offer the highest standards of care in a superb environment.

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