Poor posture and spinal health is becoming more and more of an epidemic with our society as more and more people spend more and more time hunched over their computers and devices. Poor spinal and postural health decreases function of all organs and systems. The advice of most mothers to sit up straight turns out to be as important as eating vegetables.

A ground-breaking study published in 2004 found a significant relationship between bad posture and early death from atherosclerosis and pulmonary disease. That statement bears repeating; poor posture directly related to heart and lung related deaths. The actual study determined a 44% higher risk of death in those with the poorest posture. And most doctors remain completely unaware of this data and the significant role posture plays in health and well-being for all ages.

The study pointed out that the specific posture with the most dangerous influence on heart and lung health was sitting posture. Poor sitting posture presents with hunched shoulders, head forward, rounded mid-back, and a forward-tilting pelvis. 60% of the entire work force spends nearly 80 hours a day in this position at computers and desks.

Poor posture directly relates to the pandemic of ever-increasing diseases all over the world, particularly cases of heart and lung disease as discussed in the 2004 posture study. Medical solutions to this problem begin with drugs and surgery. Drugs and surgery not only seek to simply numb or cover up the symptoms, but they also have dangerous side effects that reduce quality of life. The true cause of many of these unwanted symptoms and diseases go overlooked by almost every other healthcare provider except chiropractors. Chiropractors focus on addressing and healing the source of disease by enhancing the optimal function of the body. Every adjustment improves health and quality of life by improving spinal and postural health.

What other diseases and conditions can be caused by poor posture?

  • Low back pain
  • Neck and shoulder pain
  • Chronic headaches and migraines
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Arthritis of weight-bearing joints (i.e. hips, knees, and ankles)
  • Strain on the circulatory system leading to hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases
  • Compromised breathing which may affect your heart, brain and other vital organs
  • Difficulty sleeping, low energy, fatigue
  • Digestive issues including constipation and gastrointestinal pain
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Mental health issues which may cause mood swings, anxiety, brain fog and more

Chiropractors focus on education and consistently remind the public to avoid waiting until loved ones develop heart or lung diseases before looking for proven causes that can be addressed and remedied. Diet and exercise prove vital to heart health but posture and spinal health also play an important role. Adults and children deserve the best defense against health-threatening spine and posture problems. Chiropractors influence more than just pain relief and that impact starts with understanding the role of a healthy spine on human health. Science proves that chiropractic care helps infants, children, and adults of all walks of life achieve optimal health, mobility, and function through regular care. Chiropractic works.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society October 2004
“Hyperkyphotic posture predicts mortality in older community-dwelling men and women: a prospective study.”
Deborah M Kado, Mei-Hua Huang, Arun S Karlamangla, Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, Gail A Greendale