Do you frequently notice that you are slouching? By the end of the work or school day, are you hunched over and achy? Do you feel as though you are not maintaining good posture throughout the day? If you are experiencing aches and pains, particularly in your neck or back, poor posture is probably the cause. Fortunately, your posture can be improved with physical therapy techniques and treatments. Contact our team at Progressive Medical Fitness today to learn more about how we can improve your posture and keep you living your best life!
Causes of poor posture
Poor posture is very common – particularly when we are sitting for long periods of our days. Perfect posture is rare and most people are guilty of incorrect posture habits of one form or another. We become engrossed in our tasks, and we tend to forget to think about proper body positioning.
Improper posture isn’t a result of laziness or apathy; rather, it often is the result of an underlying physical weakness within our bodies. When we feel drained, our bodies are quite literally tired of holding us up and we end up slouching and slumped.
Joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments can suffer from excessive strain due to poor posture. Core muscles that keep us upright and healthy, may be weakened as a result of poor posture. People often don’t notice their poor posture until they begin to notice aches and pains. But it is not too late!
Even if you are in good physical condition through regular exercise, it is possible that there are still a few weak muscles contributing to your posture that you may not even be aware of. Shoulder, back, abdomen, buttocks, and pelvic floor muscles all play key roles in the network that contributes to good overall posture. If even one muscle group is weak, your core is impacted, and your posture may suffer.
Your body has evolved to align in a perfect network to allow for proper movement of the muscles, breathing, and blood circulation. Poor posture is often an underlying cause of chronic conditions associated with aging.
Physical therapy allows you to regain good posture
Physical therapy is an optimal method of regaining proper posture. Our physical therapy team is compromised of experts in movement and body mechanics and they are a great resource when trying to achieve your physical performance goals. Working as a team with a physical therapist will improve your balance, stability, flexibility, and mobility, all of which have positive cumulative affects on your posture.
Your physical therapist will perform functional testing and diagnostic imaging to identify areas of your body not functioning optimally that are causing your back pain as part of your initial evaluation. This information, as well as lifestyle considerations, will be used to design a personalized treatment plan, targeted to your specific needs.
Your personalized treatment plan may include manual therapy and a targeted exercise and stretching regime to alleviate pain and regain proper function. Your physical therapist may add treatments, such as ice and heat therapies, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation to enhance your progression. Your treatment plan will focus on increasing strength to improve posture, thereby relieving pain.
Poor posture may be to blame for your back pain. Fortunately, Progressive Medical Fitness is able to help you on your journey to pain-free daily living. Physical therapy is one of the most effective ways to address your back pain, find out for yourself as you start on the road to recovery. Contact our Progressive Medical Fitness physical therapy office today for an appointment, and figure out how physical therapy can help you be “posture perfect!”