Posture refers to the position of your body when you sit, stand, or lie down. There’s also a secondary type of posture, called dynamic posture, which refers to the way that you hold your body when you are in motion, such as when walking or bending over to pick something up. Unless you’ve experienced a problem as a result of your posture, you probably don’t give it a great deal of thought. Nevertheless, it plays a very important role in our comfort, mobility, and quality of life. You’ll probably be surprised to learn that it can even affect your health.

Here are just a few of the problems that can be caused by poor posture.

Back Pain

Unsurprisingly, back pain is one of the most common problems associated with poor posture. It occurs because when our body isn’t perfectly aligned, excessive strain is placed on the upper and lower back, and even sometimes the neck. For example, slouching forwards at a computer will put pressure between your shoulder blades and cause you to flatten your back muscles. Over time, many people who don’t seek help to correct their posture suffer from chronic back pain that affects their ability to move around properly and their overall quality of life. They may even become reliant on pain relief to make simple tasks like sitting, standing, and walking bearable.

Poor Circulation

Proper circulation is important for our health and wellbeing and ensures that oxygenated blood and nutrients can reach our major organs, keeping them functioning properly. However, if you have poor posture you could be preventing your body from getting the circulation it needs. This can lead to problems like swelling in the lower extremities, cold hands and feet, joint pain, and even digestive problems.

Fatigue

Feeling constantly exhausted and not sure why? Your posture could be to blame. Poor posture can place excess pressure on bones, joints, and ligaments that our body has to work harder to try and compensate for. This can cause fatigue and body aches that make day-to-day life more tiring than normal!

Poor Sleep

If you are already feeling tired, poor quality sleep isn’t going to help. Nevertheless, this is a common problem among people with poor posture. This is because poor posture causes tension in the body that can be difficult to let go of at bedtime, making even the most comfortable bed hard to relax in! You may find yourself tossing and turning while you try and find a position that works for you, leading to hours of lost sleep every night.

Headaches

Are chronic headaches getting you down? Poor posture can also place pressure on the cervical spine, which is the part of the spine found in the neck, and the muscles that support it. Tension held in these muscles doesn’t only cause neck pain and stiffness, but it can also result in jaw pain, headaches, and even migraines.

Dodgy Digestion

If you spend long hours sitting down each day, you may find that your posture comprises the function of your digestive system too. When we sit down and slouch, it causes compression of the internal organs, and this can slow down the digestive process and trigger the onset of digestive issues such as constipation. Sitting up straight will help keep everything moving smoothly.

If you are concerned about your posture, seeing a chiropractor can help to get it back on track. Contact Waterbury Chiropractic Wellness in Longmont, Colorado at (303) 485-7117 today to schedule your appointment.