Last Updated on June 6, 2023

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3 Tips by Expert Chiropractors on Having a Better Posture

3 Tips by Expert Chiropractors on Having a Better Posture

As we age, gravity tends to diminish our good posture, leading to feeling and looking older. And while we only think of posture as something on the surface, we hardly ever realize the horrific amount of damage poor posture is having on our total health, including an adverse effect on our critical organs and life expectancy.

Don’t forget, our spine is the river that delivers nerve flow energy to all our organs to keep them functioning optimally, so any bend, pinch, or misalignment is hindering organs, joints, and muscles from performing the way they were intended. In time, without proper intervention to correct spinal deformities, the body goes into a state of disease, pain, and dysfunction.

So now that we know how bad poor posture can be, let’s try to fix it.

Improve your posture with these simple tips by our chiropractors at Zen Care Physical Medicine:

#1 Be Posture Aware When Standing

They say the first step in correcting something is to acknowledge it and understand it. By being aware of our poor posture, we can take steps to address it. For this, our chiropractors recommend having someone take a few photos of you, both front-facing and from the side. Make sure you stand in your more natural and comfortable position, versus a self-aware pose so that you can have a good and honest “baseline” to understand what needs improving.

Do you have a forward head posture, meaning your head is a bit more forward where your ears aren’t in the same perfect straight vertical line that connects your ankles to your knees to your hips and to your shoulders? From the front, are your shoulders uneven, or are your arms not perfectly spaced from your body? Is it possible to draw a perfectly straight vertical line from the center of your feet to your nose?

If not, you need to consciously correct your stance by pulling your shoulders back a bit, sticking out your chest, and loosening your shoulders so one isn’t higher than the other. Make sure to be conscious about this in all you do, from standing in line at the movies to window shopping at the mall.

#2 Sit Up Straight

Yes, your parents were right, but who can follow those strict words of advice when we’re all used to being on our phones, laptops, and tablets for hours each day? By reminding yourself to sit up straight, you are taking a positive step towards a better posture… but of course, it takes more than remembering some simple wise words.

Because we all spend so much time at work, chiropractors recommend selecting a work chair with lumbar support, where your lower back is supported, forcing you into a straighter posture. By positioning your desk, computer, and mouse in a way that is ergonomically sound, you will continue to contribute to good sitting habits. Be aware of your shoulders and whether or not they’re tight or loose, make sure you’re not leaning forward, and adjust your equipment to your needs, not the other way around. Finally, get up from time to time and stretch. Stretching keeps muscles loose and in the process, keep you sitting in a more natural way.

#3 Exercises and Stretches

We all have poor habits that lead to poor posture and a greater degree of spinal misalignment, so it is important to make a drastic change to our daily routine to help our spine from getting worse.

Our chiropractors at Zen Care Physical Medicine are aware that each spine and each individual is different, so while there are a large number of custom exercises and stretches that can be recommended based on each individual’s digital x-rays and full chiropractic exam, there is one general stretch that anyone can do, helping them improve their posture and improve their spinal health.

The stretch described here is intended to give those with poor neck posture a more natural neck curvature, as such a curve is essential to wellness. Those with poor posture either are leaned too forward or too backward, often with no curvature in the neck. This could be a big problem.

To combat this and reverse the damage that is being caused, our chiropractors recommend rolling up a medium towel into a tight roll, then placing it on the floor and laying over it facing up, making sure the rolled-up towel is snug against our neck. We are essentially creating a hard neck pillow, whereby laying over it, we are forcing the neck to adhere to the curvature of the rolled towel and enforcing that critical curvature. Laying still in this position for 10 minutes every night also helps alleviate stress, and promotes normal nerve flow energy throughout the body.

Of course, this should only a considered a home exercise, which should not replace seeing a chiropractor for care. Zen Care Physical Medicine chiropractors are trained to detect the exact curvature angles and be able to provide customized traction therapy at the office to correctly reshape the spine. They are also experts at devising individualized home exercises to extend the therapy you are receiving at the office, making for a complete solution to postural correction and spinal health.

Zen Care Physical Medicine, Chiropractic in Irvine, CA, is one of the best chiropractic care centers in Irvine with a team of highly experienced chiropractors led by Dr. Jay Kang. Combining conventional medicine and the most cutting-edge chiropractic techniques, Zen Care Physical Medicine promises to give patients the best, most effective treatment, and provide a wonderful experience from start to finish. Please visit call 949-647-5598 to get started and schedule your free in-office consultation today.

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