Posture & How it Affects More Than Just Your Back | Facial Symmetry As a Wellness Meter
Applied Kenesiology - Your Body is Telling Us The Story of Your Life!

How is Your Posture & What Does it Say About Your Health?
Posture Pro is a sophisticated software program to analyze, store and compare your posture information. We take digital pictures then Posture Pro analyzes your AP and lateral posture. Anatomical markers (A fancy name for sticky dots) are placed on you, the markers will determine your posture profile. As you progress in your sessions, we can review and update your Posture Profile to get a real sense of how you're doing.

Why Is A Posture Profile  Important?
Besides being a window to the spine, posture reflects the additional forces acting on the body. These forces, both gravitational and tension, combine to make the body less efficient, more prone to injury, and increase the development of degenerative joint disease.

Objective "Detect & Correct"
If a doctor knew that 90+% of patients had a condition that affected over 100 joints, dozens of muscles, diminished lung capacity, accelerated DJD, and lowered the quality of their life, the doctor would want to know how to detect and correct it, right?

Forward Head Posture:
Forward Head Posture (FHP), the state of holding the head forward of the center of the shoulder, is possibly the most overlooked physical finding in a DC's practice. FHP is much more than the patient not looking their best. It sets into motion a chain reaction that can greatly affect their health, and results. So a snapshot of a person's posture is really a snapshot of their spinal health. In 59 seconds or less! Detecting this posture profile can be a simple as a quick visual to see if the ear is over the shoulder.

Long-term effects of FHP posture can include:
•  Rounding of the shoulders
•  Inward rotation of the arms
•  Compressed thoracic cavity
•  Likelihood on an increased lumbar lordosis
•  Loss of range of motion
•  Increased wear on the IVD, and other articular components

The Gravity of FHP
The head, about the shape and weight of a bowling ball, is subject to the same Laws of Physics as other objects. As the head moves outside its natural stable point, gravity takes hold and wants the head to hit the floor. Think of a bowling ball with a cut-off broom handle stuck in one hole. The ball will balance, but tilt it slightly forward and it will fall to the ground. Because Gravity never sleeps, this effect is present whenever the person with FHP is in an erect position.

Each inch forward the head is held forward of neutral requires the exertion of 15 to 30 pounds of extra muscle tension, which means that much less muscle strength is available to support outside loads. And, of course, this extra muscular load is transmitted down the spine, increasing chronic loading on the vertebrae as well as the intervertebral discs.

The shoulders back and down position of proper posture is also optimal for load bearing. With this position, when a weight is held in the hands or supported by the shoulders, the shoulders will be pulled downwards, but not forwards. When a forward shrug occurs, it is much less efficient. When fatigue resistance drops, the spine is more vulnerable to injury.

Effects of Poor Posture on the Muscles and Spine:
Muscles habitually kept in a stretched position beyond the physiologic resting position tend to weaken. This is known as stretch weakness.

Muscles habitually kept in a shortened position tend to lose their elasticity. These muscles test strong in the shortened position but become weak as they are lengthened. This is known as tight weakness.

Imbalances in the flexibility of hip, shoulder, and neck musculature cause asymmetric forces on the spine (which decrease load bearing capability and increase injury risk).

This adaptive shortening of soft tissues and muscle weakness, caused by prolonged poor postural habits is considered to be a postural dysfunction. Stress to the shortened structures causes pain, and strength and flexibility imbalances may predispose the area to injury or overuse syndromes that a normal musculoskeletal system could sustain. Good postural habits are necessary to avoid postural dysfunctions.

Call 303-988-5220 now to schedule an initial assessment now! It is never too late to correct posture problems!