How Physiotherapy Can Correct Bad Posture

Back, neck and shoulder problems are a fairly common affliction in people of all ages, races and genders. While often pain of these types is caused by injury or strain, sedentary lifestyles and desk jobs tend to result in poor posture, which can be quite a pain in the neck – literally. To understand the importance of good posture and how physio near me can assist in correcting or improving your posture problems, we need to look at precisely what posture is.

Posture, by definition, is the way you carry yourself, whether you’re moving or not. It’s how you sit, stand, walk and in what positions you lie down when you rest. Good posture is achieved by training your body to hold your positions during these activities in a manner that supports your body and places the least possible strain on your muscles and ligaments. Poor posture, on the opposite end of the scale, is when your body has become accustomed to holding positions that aren’t comfortable or put a strain on your body. Poor posture tends to be a habitual, automatic behaviour which stems from years or even decades of not focusing on keeping your body in the correct positions, which can be due to muscle weakness, lack of flexibility, an inactive lifestyle or adopting positions which your body cannot tolerate.  Others are due to it not being accustomed to a particular position and utilising the group of muscles in that region. Due to this ongoing, daily misalignment or stress on muscles, bones and ligaments, pain begins to develop.

The symptoms of poor posture are many and varied, but a few of the most common include:

– Muscle fatigue

– Neck pain

– Back pain

– Headaches

– Drooping head

– Bent knees when standing or walking

– Rounded shoulders which arch forward

Hours upon hours of sitting at computers, looking down at our smartphones and other unnatural positions which we’ve adopted as a standard in modern society, all contribute to the cause of poor posture. Physiotherapy can aid in relieving the pain as well as teaching you how to be more aware of your posture and how to correct it. Other benefits of physiotherapy include having an increased range of motion, better balance, improved muscular endurance, as well as altering the way you stand, sit and lie down.

If you’re thinking of locating a physio nearby, contact us and find out how we can assist with improving your quality of life.