Posture Correction Winthrop

While the age-old piece of advice to “stand tall” might ring true for some, many people struggle with practising and maintaining good posture.

If you need help in achieving better posture, our team at Winthrop Chiropractic Care may be able to help. Dr Luke and Dr Raymond both have more than 20 years in helping people improve their body posture.

As part of the posture check procedure, we develop a personalised treatment plan based not only on the way you carry your body, but on outside factors such as lifestyle and family medical history. Once we have an understanding of where along your spine and joints the root of the posture problem lies, we can begin creating custom treatments for your unique situation.

What Is Posture And Why Is It Important?

Posture refers to the way you hold your body when walking, running, bending over, sitting, standing, or sleeping.

When you were growing up, you may have been told to sit up straight or to stand tall to look confident. Other than holding yourself high and making a positive impression, proper posture offers a few benefits to your overall well-being which are not always visible to the naked eye.

Good posture is vital for maintaining the correct alignment of your spine, which in turn improves your mobility and puts your muscles into good working condition. This may help prevent premature wear and tear in your joints and minimises the occurrence of back pain.

What Differentiates Good Posture From Poor Posture?

Good posture maintains the three natural curves in your spine – your neck, mid back, and lower back. Doing so helps prevent back and/or neck pain, promotes better digestion, improves core strength, increases self-confidence and physical appearance, and reduces tension in the shoulders and neck.

Good posture also allows you to breathe better. When the abdomen is compressed due to slouching or sitting in a slumped position, it provides little room for the organs to move out of the way, thus reducing lung capacity.

Poor posture, on the other hand, is characterised by hunched shoulders, a rounded upper back, and an arched lower back. The complications that may arise from bad posture include:

• misaligned spine
• shoulder and/or neck pain
• limited flexibility and/or mobility
• increased risk of injury, such as falling due to uneven distribution of weight
• back pain
• chest pain

Be sure to talk to our Chiropractors to find out how we can best help you transform your poor posture into good posture.

What Causes Poor Posture?

In some cases, poor posture is a result of genetic conditions, uniquely shaped vertebrae, or developmental problems with the spine.

Some more common causes of poor posture include:

• Injuries from sports and other activities
• Slouching
• Incorrect sleeping positions
• Constantly carrying heavy loads

Your lifestyle and the type of work you do can also be contributing factors. Spending long periods of time sitting in front of the computer leads to tightness and weakness of the muscles in your back.

Repeatedly tucking your phone between your head and your shoulder when taking calls or looking straight down at your phone can strain your neck and change the alignment of your spine. This can trigger neck or back pain and affects your posture over time.

How To Correct Your Posture

Being mindful of the way you sit, stand, and walk is one of the keys to fixing or improving your posture.

If your work involves sitting for hours, make sure your feet are flat on the floor, your shoulders are relaxed, and your elbows are close to your body.

You may have to adjust your chair so that your computer screen is within eye level when you sit down. To some, a footrest may be helpful in this case to keep the feet planted flat on the surface.

Keep your back fully supported with a pillow or other lumbar support if your chair does not have a backrest

Remember to get up as often as possible to move or do a little stretching which helps in relieving muscle tension.

When in a standing position, stand up straight and tall. Keep your shoulders back and stomach in. Maintain head level and let your arms hang down naturally at the sides.

Other tips for spine and posture care:

• Stay active! Regular exercise helps keep your spine healthy and your muscles strong. Yoga, for example, is a form of gentle exercise involving some poses that aim to strengthen your core, improve flexibility, and correct posture. Other low-impact exercise options are tai chi and Pilates.
• Use your hips, knees, and thighs when lifting objects. Ask Dr Luke or Dr Raymond at Winthrop Chiropractic Care to talk you through the correct technique for manual handling.
• Avoid crossing your legs and wearing high heels as much as possible.
• Use a firm pillow to support your neck when sleeping. You can ask us at Winthrop Chiropractic Care to recommend industry-standard pillows for this!

It is always best to check with our Chiropractor if you believe you need posture correction. For further assistance, call Winthrop Chiropractic Care at (08) 9332 0122 or book an appointment online.

Can a Chiropractor Fix Posture?

A chiropractor is a healthcare practitioner that uses both manual and instrument-based methods to address musculoskeletal problems, including postural correction.

Before beginning treatment, we will obtain your medical history and run some testing to evaluate your general health and determine the underlying cause of your pain or posture issue.

Dr Luke and Dr Raymond both have more than 20 years of dealing with patients of all ages. As such, we know that different chiropractic techniques are required for different clients in order to restore and maintain normal spinal function. These can include:

• Spinal adjustment
• Soft tissue therapy
• Joint bracing
• Prescribed exercises and stretches

At Winthrop Chiropractic Care, we consider your entire well-being in identifying the reason behind your poor posture. We can then design a treatment plan that suits your unique situation.

Chiropractor Posture Correction

Poor posture causes the spine to change its alignment. It also puts pressure on the muscles which can lead to other health problems such as headaches and muscle strains.

Based on the results of your assessments, our chiropractors may use spinal adjustment to realign your spine and correct your posture, or massage therapy to stimulate your muscles to release tension or pain.

To best look after your muscles and joints, it is vital that you get unusual or sudden discomfort checked by our Chiropractor. 

Whether you are looking for help with your posture or medical care to ease back pain, our team at Winthrop Chiropractic Care can provide a solution. We use gentle adjustment techniques that will fix and improve the health of your spine to achieve a better posture.

Our tests are thorough and our explanations clear- it is why we have been trusted to help tens of thousands of people in Melville, Leeming, Bullcreek, Winthrop and Murdoch over the last 20 years.

Learn more about what Winthrop Chiropractic Care can do for you! We are pleased to offer complimentary consultations, so contact us today to get started. You can book your appointment with our professional and experienced team online or on (08) 9332 0122.