I remember as a kid living up in Mansfield having my parents tell me, “stop slouching, stand up straight!” In school it was “sit up in your seats.” Same thing in band rehearsal learning to play the trumpet as a kid, “sit up, tighten your core!” I hope that parents here in Worthington and Lewis Center do the same, because what I had no clue about was how important posture is to your health!
Most people don’t consider the fact that your posture is simply an outward reflection of what is happening in your spine, and therefore your spinal cord and nervous system!
Do I Have A Posture Problem?
How to Evaluate Posture
The best way to look at your posture is to have a local chiropractor do it, we are experts at it – but it’s also important to know how to do it for your family members or friends so that they can start correcting it!
- Have someone take a picture of you (or set your camera up on a timer) – stand in a normal relaxed position. Take a picture from the front and from the side.
- On the front view, draw lines connecting the highest points of the shoulders and the highest points of the hips. Also draw a line running through the outer corner of the eyes. All of these should be level.
- On the front view, also draw a vertical line through the center of your body so that it intersects the 3 lines you already drew so you can see how severe any angulation is.
- On the side view, place points on the hole in the ear, middle of the shoulder, middle of the hip joint, knee, and ankle. Draw lines to connect the dots. This line should be vertical.
- If the lines are not level or vertical, you have a postural problem that should be evaluated by a local chiropractor.
While posture can be a cause of premature arthritis, it can also be a significant finding of brain dysfunction that only someone versed in Functional Neurology Assessment can identify.