{"id":39492,"date":"2015-04-23T10:46:07","date_gmt":"2015-04-23T15:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=39492"},"modified":"2017-04-27T09:00:46","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T14:00:46","slug":"standing-up-tall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/standing-up-tall\/","title":{"rendered":"Standing up Tall!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Batsheva , a 55-year-old, came to my weight-loss program several years ago and was a\u00a0consistent exerciser who also did a lot of extra walking each day aside from her formal program.\u00a0Gershon, a 38-year-old came to me for lower back pain problems and treatment. Two different\u00a0people who came see me for two distinct problems, but there is something they both had in\u00a0common\u2014bad posture. They have a lot of company as millions of people have this problem.<\/p>\n

A neutral spine or good posture refers to the three natural curves that are present in a healthy\u00a0spine. Looking directly at the front or back of the body, the 33 vertebrae in the spinal column\u00a0should appear completely vertical. From a side view, the cervical (neck) region of the spine (C1-\u00a0C7) is bent inward, the thoracic (upper back) region (T1-T12) bends outward, and the lumbar\u00a0(lower back) region (L1-L5) bends inward. The sacrum (tailbone area) (S1-S5 fused) and coccyx\u00a0(on average 4 fused) rest between the pelvic bones.<\/p>\n

It is almost common in overweight people to develop bad posture as over time, gravity is\u00a0continually pulling the person downward. And a good part of the time, people with back pain\u00a0may have a postural problem for years before it manifests itself in actual pain. So, for Gershon\u00a0and Batsheva, correcting their postural abnormalities was critical to their future health. Let\u2019s\u00a0take a closer look at their problems and what to do about fixing them.<\/p>\n

5 common postural abnormalities are lordosis, kyphosis, flat back, sway back, and scoliosis. In a\u00a0neutral normal spine, there are slight curves and bends. In these conditions, those curves and\u00a0indentations are all exaggerated in one way or another. How do we end up with bad posture?<\/p>\n

Fatigue<\/strong>– While keeping the back straight and tall is the best way to have good posture, it will\u00a0become increasingly difficult the longer you try to hold this position. The muscles that support\u00a0the back will eventually get tired and cause the spine and shoulders to sink lower, worsening\u00a0posture. The best way to counteract this is to make sure that you are not in one position for too\u00a0long.<\/p>\n

Foot Placement<\/strong>-The second part of the posture equation is foot placement. It will not matter\u00a0how straight you keep your spine if your foot placement is not in a natural, comfortable\u00a0position. Your feet naturally roll inward, causing your knees to bend and your back to slouch.\u00a0This is the typical position for bad posture. Keeping your feet in this position will tire out your\u00a0entire body, which will cause further bad posture. Make sure that you keep your feet placed\u00a0upright and wear comfortable and supportive shoes to help with their placement.<\/p>\n

Age<\/strong>-Since posture is predicated on muscle support of your spine and your legs, as you age your\u00a0posture could get worse. Age can weaken muscles, making it harder to maintain a good posture.\u00a0In order to counteract the effect of aging on your posture, make sure that you follow an exercise\u00a0regimen which includes exercises to strengthen the lower back.<\/p>\n

The results of poor posture can be quite pronounced:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sore Muscles<\/strong>-The most common effect of poor posture are sore muscles. As you slouch, the\u00a0muscles have to work harder to keep the spine stabilized and protected. The extra work on\u00a0these muscles can cause muscle tightness and fatigue and can lead to chronic issues with tight\u00a0and sore muscles from the neck all the way down to the lower back.<\/p>\n

Spinal Curvature<\/strong>-One of the most serious issues that can occur with bad posture is developing a\u00a0spinal curvature. As we said, the human spine has four natural curves that make up an “s”\u00a0shape. When bad posture is practiced, the spine can experience pressure, slowly influencing the\u00a0spine curves to change their positions. The spine is specifically designed to help absorb shock\u00a0and keep you balanced, but as the spinal position changes, this ability becomes compromised.<\/p>\n

Blood Vessel Constriction<\/strong>-As bad posture changes the alignment of the spine, the resulting\u00a0movement can cause problems with blood vessel constriction. The constriction of the blood\u00a0vessels around the spine can cut off blood supply to the cells of the muscles, which can affect\u00a0nutrient and oxygen supply. Blood vessel constriction can also raise your chances of clot\u00a0formation and issues with deep vein thrombosis.<\/p>\n

Nerve Constriction<\/strong>-One of the most common side effects of bad posture is nerve constriction.\u00a0As the spine changes in shape, pressure on the surrounding spinal nerves. Because the nerves\u00a0that connect to the spine can result, and these pinched nerves can not only cause neck and back\u00a0pain but may also cause pain in other unrelated areas of the body.<\/p>\n

There some simple things you can do to maintain posture. When walking or jogging, always\u00a0look straight ahead. Look at a focal point and keep looking straight at it. When sitting, place\u00a0your two feet in front of you on the floor (not crossed), don\u2019t slouch in your chair. When\u00a0working at the computer, make sure you have your work station set up so your won\u2019t do\u00a0damage to your back or arms with bad posture. Always check the following: Hands, wrists, and\u00a0forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor.<\/p>\n