Why Is Posture Important?

The spine is extremely flexible. It also provides protection for the spinal cord and nervous system and supports the internal organs. By analogy, the spine acts more like a spring rather than a stick: a spring is flexible and can withstand forces, while a stick will eventually break when enough force is applied to it.

Posture is the clinical term used to describe the alignment of the bones and joints in your body. In a healthy posture, the bones and joints are aligned to minimize stress and wear and tear by having the structural parts of your body do all the work. Unhealthy posture means your body is positioned or aligned such that the soft tissues (ligaments, tendons, and muscles), which easily get overloaded, are doing all the work. Correct posture is a function of a properly maintained body.

Gravity is one force that continually acts to compress our body. With poor posture, its effects can overload our body and lead to damage. Consider that your head weighs about the same as a bowling ball. Now consider that for every inch forward your head goes while you slouch, you double the weight that your soft tissues have to carry!

Posture is assessed by your chiropractor by viewing the spine from behind and from the side. When viewed from behind while standing, you should notice that the spine is straight and that it does not tilt to one side or the other. The shoulders and hips should be even and level. Normal posture from the side is seen in patients when a line passes through the center of the ear to the center of the shoulder, down to the center of the hip and knee and to the ankle. If you do not line up along these lines, your alignment is at fault and your posture is abnormal.