Posture Therapy Helps Reduce Chronic Pain, Improve Flexibility, Strengthen Muscles, And Improve Balance
Posted on: 2 February 2023
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If you've noticed your posture is poor when you look in the mirror or you have chronic back or neck pain, you might be interested in posture therapy. You might start with an evaluation of the way you stand and sit, and then proceed to learn stretches and exercises that help align and balance your body. Here's why poor posture is bad for you and ways you can improve it with therapy.
Why Poor Posture Is Harmful
If you're like many people and have grown more sedentary, you may develop tech-neck from sitting hunched over a phone or computer all day. This can lead to chronic neck pain and an unattractive hump along your upper back.
Your muscles could get weak from sitting too much, and that can put you at a higher risk of injury. Your balance could be affected and cause you to have more falls. The weak muscles could also lead to back pain, which makes it even more difficult to be active.
Poor posture can lead to abnormalities like one side of your body being stronger or one shoulder being higher than the other. You not only develop physical problems, but your appearance is also affected.
How Posture Therapy Helps
The therapy is similar to other types of physical therapy, but instead of working on the area where you have pain, the therapy treats your entire body. Stretches are important, and you might use equipment such as bands, towels, or foam rollers to stretch your tissues and muscles. The equipment you use in therapy is usually pretty basic so you can find what you need at home or buy it affordably.
You'll learn the stretches and exercises you need to do under supervision with a therapist, but to get the best results, you'll need to do what you learn at home every day. The movements are designed to reverse the effects of being sedentary while maintaining poor posture.
Muscle strengthening exercises are important. Some of your muscles may be so weak that you have a hard time holding your body upright properly. Some muscles may be overdeveloped, so the goal of the therapy is to balance your body and also help bring it back into proper alignment so your shoulders and hips are level when you stand and walk.
The results after weeks of posture therapy might include an improved appearance, better muscle strength, increased flexibility, less pain, and better balance. You can continue the stretches and exercises at home over the long term so you maintain your improved posture and its benefits for years to come.