IMPROVE POSTURE & CIRCULATION

HAPPY & HEALTHY: IMPROVE POSTURE & CIRCULATION

Ever since we were children, our parents have told us to stand up straight. This is because posture is important for good physical and emotional health. When a person stands up straight, they give signs that they are a confident, open, and friendly person.   Just standing up straight can give a person a boost in confidence, a boost in self-esteem, and in men it can lead to an increase in testosterone production. This is based on studies performed by Harvard University.   A San Diego chiropractor, especially those who have received a Masters qualification in chiropractic postural techniques, have developed ways of helping their patients improve their posture, making them more attractive, younger looking, and more confident.  

POSTURE, BREATHING, AND CIRCULATION

Improving your posture is key to proper breathing and is a way to improve circulation. When a person has poor posture, that is sinking or curling when they are in a chair or slumping their backs, they suffocate their diaphragm and limit its ability to draw in deep breaths. With time, poor posture becomes habitual and leads to the tightening of back and leg muscles, which in turn makes it hard to straighten up.   Once your back and abdominal muscles become shortened, it is challenging to maintain good posture. This in turn makes it harder to take in normal or deep breaths. The problem can get to the point where a person’s posture leads to them habitually taking in shallow breaths. The lungs become accustomed to shallow breaths, and their capacity diminishes by up to 30 percent.   Poor posture has also been linked to high blood pressure. This is because good posture allows a free flow of blood and helps the patient improve circulation in and out of the heart. Individuals with good posture often have lower blood pressure. Chiropractic services may help their patient improve their posture by showing them how to stretch out the abdominal and chest muscles, as well as doing exercises that will help them strengthen the muscles connected to good posture.  

TOOLS CHIROPRACTORS USE TO IMPROVE A PATIENT’S POSTURE

The first step a chiropractor will take to help their patient improve their posture is to observe the patient as they sit and as they move about. Next, a chiropractor will look at the spinal alignment of their patient. They will measure how much their patient’s posture deviates from the ideal posture using posture guides. They will look at the length and girth of their patient’s limbs, as well as test their patients for flexibility and joint mobility. Finally, a patient’s muscle length and muscle strength will be tested.   The five primary modalities that chiropractic services use to treat faulty body mechanics include massage, stretching, strength exercising, applying heat, and treating damaged ligaments, bones, or nerves.   A San Diego chiropractor will educate their patients on how to improve their body mechanics in everyday life. In some instances, foot orthotics are prescribed to correct postural faults that stem from lower limb problems.   Good posture is essential to healthy living. When a person has good posture when they are young, they protect themselves from certain musculoskeletal disorders that present themselves in older patients who did not care for their posture in their youth. Chiropractors can work with patients to help them restore their posture, improve their blood circulation, improve their respiration, and improve the way they look and feel about themselves.