POSTURE ASSESSMENT and ADVICE
Posture affects both your appearance and your health.
Poor posture is associated with a shorter lifespan and numerous health problems such as future osteoporotic fractures, independent from bone mineral density. Postural correction is important in itself and to support chiropractic adjustments, which aim to reduce symptoms and improve function.
The first step towards improving posture is getting assessed. We use a digital scan to plot exactly where your posture is at. The most common postural distortion we see is Forward Head Carriage, where the head sits forward of the shoulder and the area under the base of the skull may become compressed, potentially affecting headaches or neck pain. Another classic postural distortion pattern is severe slouching, whereby the upper back slumps downward, sometimes the shoulders have also swayed back behind the hips. These patterns may play a role in chronic back pain and the development of arthritis.
If indicated, Dr Saxon may also use X-rays to assess the underlying spinal curvatures. For instance, some people have an exaggerated curve in their low back, whilst others are too flat here.
Once we have a thorough posture assessment, we can prescribe a specific program to improve your posture. This typically involves a combination of spinal adjustments aimed at restoring normal function to specific joints and home exercises to re-train your body to assume a healthy more upright position. Our goal is to have you feeling and looking your best!
Reference: Kado DM, Huang MH, Karlamangla AS, Barrett-Connor E, Greendale GA. Hyperkyphotic posture predicts mortality in older community-dwelling men and women: a prospective study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2004;52(10):1662–1667. Read the study on PubMed.
Kado DM, Huang MH, Karlamangla AS, Barrett-Connor E, Greendale GA. Hyperkyphotic posture and risk of future osteoporotic fractures: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2006;21(3):419–423. https://doi.org/10.1359/JBMR.051201