Monthly Archives: August 2012

//August

What’s Your Posture?

In this month’s column I’d like to briefly touch on posture again. I know a lot of people know what they should do but getting people to change their habits requires some repetition. So this month I’d like to repeat my message about posture, which I first touched on in the May edition, during National Spinal Week. The majority of us (even the occasional Chiropractor) suffer from poor posture, with the top five posture sins comprising: slouching, forward pelvis, rotated hips, forward head position and rounded shoulders. Each of these postures put extra pressure on the spine and can lead to a host of problems from tension and soreness to headache, back pain and fatigue. These problems can significantly impact on how a person daily operates, having an adverse effect on their well-being, overall mood and ability to concentrate, study effectively or even work. While poor posture is not a new issue, the widespread prevalence is cause for concern as is the growing increase in posture problems triggered by electronic gadgets. CAA member chiropractors have noted a growing trend in the increase in spinal issues linked to laptops, mouse use, mobile telephones cradled against the head and hours in front of the TV. A marked jump in problems triggered by handheld computer games and MP3 players and excessive mobile phone texting is also becoming a major concern, especially amongst children and teens. To help Australians straighten up, the CAA has just launched a new interactive website, www.whatsyourposture.com.au. The site provides free posture self assessment tools, tips and simple exercises to help Australians counteract the top five posture sins. The good news is that for most people, posture problems can be corrected and sometimes even reversed and at the end of the day, a healthy spine means a healthier life. Stay tuned for more helpful tips in next months column.