Proper Posture

Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting a good night's sleep and avoiding harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue.

One of the most important things about body mechanics and posture is alignment. Alignment refers to how the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles relate and line up with each other. Proper alignment of the body puts less stress on the spine and helps you to have good posture.

To keep proper alignment of your spine, avoid the following:

* Having a slumped, head-forward posture

* Bending forward from the waist

* Twisting of the spine to a point of strain or pain

* Twisting the trunk and bending forward when doing activities such as coughing, sneezing, vacuuming or lifting

* Anything that requires you to reach far. An example is reaching up for an item on a high shelf, which also could cause you to lose your balance and fall.

A chiropractor may use a variety of different diagnostic techniques to determine if your spine is out of alignment.  Most chiropractors can easily spot a subluxation, as body posture often reflects misalignments.  For example, when lying down, one leg will appear shorter than the other. When standing up, the body may lean to one side, or the head may tilt to one side. One hip may be higher than the other,  or the distribution of body weight may favor one foot.

Once the misalignment has been diagnosed, your chiropractor will perform spinal adjustmetns to move the vertebrae back into alignment. This will help to restore correct posture and alleviate pain that may have been caused by the misalignment.