Abnormal posture can cause or be a contributing factor to both chronic and acute pain, especially back pain. When sitting at work, lifting a bag of groceries, or exercising, if joints are out of their ideal alignment, compression and overstretching of muscles, ligaments, discs, fascia, nerves, and other structures in the body causes pain. With injury, pain, and extended time, abnormal positioning can begin to feel “normal” even though it may be causing discomfort, stiffness, decreased balance, fatigue, and disrupted sleep.
When assessing a client’s pain, we perform a thorough evaluation to help determine the underlying cause of discomfort, the body parts affected, and the best treatments for resolution. Often with back and neck pain, headaches, and shoulder and hip injuries, postural retraining is an important piece of both the short term and long term solutions to your symptoms.
Postural retraining focuses on the specific muscles that contribute to alignment and stability. There’s no “bulking up” with postural retraining – instead focusing on attaining improved length, tension, strength, and endurance of the intrinsic and supporting muscles (such as the multifidus, transverse abdominus, and pelvic floor) allows the body to heal itself of pain and decrease the likelihood of future injury by reinforcing safer patterns of movement.
Posture matters because it affects the biomechanics of our entire system. With more time in “ideal” alignment you can reduce or eliminate pain, improve quality of sleep, breathe easier, recover from illness and injury, and improve your overall activity and function. This all leads to improved well being and a Good Life.
