QUALITY OF LIFE ACCORDING TO POSTURE

How supportive is your office set up?

Bones, ligaments and muscles make up the body’s structure. It’s the frame. 

It protects our vital organs and gives us the ability to move. Quality of life is directly related to our ability to move. Quality of life is directly related to our ability to move. If our bodies don’t move well, it tells us that there may be something wrong with the structure. One good way to tell if there is a structural problem is by looking at posture. 

Our posture can be influenced by a number of things - trauma from accidents, falls, or injuries. More common is the slow change which happens because of daily life. 

A lot of our work, home and life environments require us to work infant of us. Cell phones, computers, long hours sitting, driving ect., often have us bending  our necks, arms and shoulders forward. When the head becomes positioned out in front of our body its called forward head posture. It doesn’t seem like too big of a deal since most people have some degree of forward head posture (FHP). 

FHP is often a factor for people who develop neck pain. Not only is neck pain one of the most costly structural issues, it often causes other significant concerns. FHP also leads to weak muscles on the front of the neck. Other muscles in the neck try to take over for support and become over worked. At this point FHP often continues to worsen with a likelihood for headaches, reduced range of motion and more pain. Even social factors from the pain to appearance can start to negatively impact life.  

Quality of life at that point is often reduced. In addition to all this, even breathing can become compromised. As FHP progresses, muscles important for breathing also become weak. Impeding the ability for the body to breath then influences the entire body because of less oxygen circulating. 

At this point It’s obvious that posture is valuable for our health and quality of life. Your awareness of looking down less often and raising screens up to eye level can make a difference. Manipulation and basic support exercises can prevent worsening FHP, neck pain, breathing ability and quality of life.

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