Welcome to Episode 2 of The Healthy Commute podcast! Below, you can read a summary of some of the aspects detailed by Dr. Pascal and Dr. Dan in our latest episode. Check out the full podcast here. It’s just 15 minutes, making it the perfect length for you to gain much-needed information on your health during your daily commute.
Why Your Child’s Postural Problems Matter
In a recent study, children between the ages of 6-7 were screened for postural issues. More than 50% of them were found to have problems! These were healthy children with no other issues, but they showed symptoms such as forward head posture, rounding shoulders or a shoulder that tilted one way.
If that wasn’t concerning enough, let’s talk about why posture matters. You might think, “If the child doesn’t have pain, what’s wrong with having bad posture?” It’s dangerous to believe that the absence of symptoms means you’re healthy. Your health is about much more than a lack of discomfort.
The Domino Effects of Bad Posture
When your head tilts forward, a tremendous amount of stress is placed on your neck. In fact, for a single inch that your head moves forward, there are an increase of 10 pounds of pressure placed on your neck and shoulders. That means your muscles tighten; which can cause headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain and tingling or numbness in your arms.
Though your child may seem fine now, postural problems will break down their spine. It will age prematurely, and eventually, they will experience pain — likely, as an adult, when their posture has been negatively affecting them for decades. Even more frightening is recent research that shows improper posture can affect your mood.
The Chicken vs. Egg Argument
It’s well-documented that bad posture can affect the inside of your body, such as the way your organs function. In two recent articles, people with stooped posture were found to be in a more negative mood than people with proper posture. Moreover, those with bad posture couldn’t get out of their bad mood. That begs the question, which came first? The bad mood, or the bad posture? It’s a vicious cycle that will continue without proper care and attention.
What You Can Do About It
For more than 100 years, chiropractic has been helping people to enjoy the benefits of a healthy spine and nervous system. Our patients report they feel better, have greater energy and much, much more. In the next decades, we believe that our focus will shift to assisting people in recovering from bad posture.
The best way to make sure you and your children aren’t affected is to get a checkup now from a chiropractor who specializes in postural correction. It’s easier to start now than to try to erase years of bad posture later in life.
If you’re not in our area, please visit https://dennerolldocs.com/ to find the appropriate health care professional near you.
In our podcast, you’ll learn even more, such as the action steps that you can take to make sure that you and your children don’t suffer from the consequences of bad posture. You’ll also be given exercises to reverse the effects of your forward head posture. Check it out today!