Poor posture, why does it develop and how can physiotherapy help?
None of us are born perfect, and that applies to our muscles and tissues as well. During the time of this pandemic, a lot of individuals have started to work from home with that being their new norm, and with that, we tend to develop what is so commonly called “poor posture” or “postural dysfunction”. It develops gradually, without even noticing until it starts to interfere with your day to day activities or starts to cause you pain. With poor posture, our curves in our spine tend to be positioned in “unnatural” positions, which puts extra stress on our joints, muscles, and vertebrae’s. Staying in that position for too long can cause excess tension on our tissues and muscles, which then leads to pain and discomfort.
There are a few reasons as to why we may develop poor posture:
- Lack of awareness as to what “good posture” is
- Being in one position for too long
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle tightness
- Ergonomic work set-ups
Can physiotherapy help me improve my posture?
With a few simple stretches to decrease muscle tightness and some strengthening work to build up those weak muscles, you’re already on the right track to alleviate some pain. Upon meeting with a physiotherapist, the physiotherapist will assess and determine the roots and causes of your postural dysfunction, and provide you with the education so that you need to understand and take control of your rehab alongside your physiotherapist. Your physiotherapist will also give you the best advice on how you can set up the most beneficial ergonomic work station at home. Alongside the arsenal of skills that our physiotherapists possess that will help alleviate your pain and discomfort during our treatment sessions, the physiotherapist will provide you with specific exercises and advice to help you maintain good posture on a day to day basis and advice on how you can prevent yourself from developing postural dysfunction in the future.
Attached are some stretches and exercises that can help get you started on the right track.
Stretch 1
Stretch 2
Stretch 3
Stretch 4
Stretch 5
Book your appointment with one of our physiotherapists today, and let us help you get rid of any unnecessary pain that you may have developed, or have been experiencing for a very long time.
