Do I need to fix my posture?

Family, friends or health professionals may point some of the following things out to us, but do they really matter?

• Rounded shoulders
• Rounded upper back
• Increased arch in low back
• Protruding chin

Do we need to change or "fix" or posture? It depends!

Studies show that "bad" posture does not necessarily lead to pain. Which can mean a few different things:

• Just because your posture is not what is shown in a text book, does not mean it will cause pain
• For some people, certain postures will increase their pain

So how do you know if it matters to you?

A health professional such as a chiropractor or physiotherapist is trained to ask questions about and assess your posture and movements. This analysis can help to decide if improving your posture will help to reduce your pain.

To hold ourselves in a more ideal posture we need:

• Adequate joint range of motion in our spine and limbs
• Adequate strength and endurance in the muscles that hold us up
• Workstations that encourage good posture

Here at Willoughby Physiotherapy and Chiropractic we assess you presentation and make a plan specific to you. We often just need our posture to be a little better than it is to allow muscle aches and pains to resolve. We can address any restricted joints with specific gentle manipulation, advise you on how to improve workstations to suit your body, and show you exercises that only take a couple of minutes per day to improve how you hold your body.