Improve Your Posture and Improve Your Life: How We Can Help

Remember those times when your mom or teacher told you to sit up straight and stop slouching? Well, guess what? They were right! Not only does poor posture detract from the way you look, but it can also cause plenty of health problems.

Of course, improving your posture isn’t always as easy as sitting up straight at the dinner table. Good posture is much more complex and involves different body parts and systems to get it “right.” That’s how postural rehabilitation can help.

Lincoln German, DC, is a leading provider of postural rehabilitation using an innovative and cutting-edge approach that focuses on the neurological aspects of good postures, along with the role of the musculoskeletal system. Here’s how postural rehabilitation could help improve your health and quality of life.

How poor posture affects your health

When you slouch, slump, or sit or stand at an “odd” angle, it puts a lot of stress and strain on your muscles and joints. So it’s no wonder that even a little slouching and slumping can cause chronic pain in your back, neck, and even your arms and legs.

The more you slouch, the more strain you put on your bones. Over time, that can pull your joints out of alignment. Before long, joint dysfunction leads to pain in your knees, hips, lower back, and neck. It can even lead to chronic and disabling headaches.

But chronic pain isn’t the only problem associated with poor posture. Poor posture can affect your health in other ways, too — ways that might not seem so obvious.

Digestive problems

Good posture keeps your gastrointestinal tract aligned, allowing food to optimally pass through. Slouching or slumping can slow the process down, and it can also lead to painful heartburn.

Urinary incontinence

Stress incontinence is a common cause of bladder leakage, happening when your pelvic floor muscles start to weaken. Slouching puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor muscles, increasing the strain on the muscles and making urine leakage more likely.

Chronic headaches

When poor posture involves your neck and shoulders, it can cause inflammation and swelling around the nerves in your neck. Unless that inflammation is treated, there’s a good chance that nerve impingement and muscle strain will lead to chronic headaches that can take a huge toll on your well-being.

Sleep problems

Chronic pain can interfere with your sleep. But so can digestive problems and chronic headaches. By optimizing your posture, you can catch those Zs your body and mind have been craving.

Respiratory problems

When you breathe, your diaphragm muscle expands and contracts to help your lungs inhale and exhale. Poor posture interferes with diaphragm function, making it harder for your lungs to do their job. That effect is magnified if you have an existing breathing problem, like asthma or emphysema.

Postural rehabilitation 101

Dr. German and our team know that your body isn’t just a series of separate parts. They employ a holistic and whole-patient approach to improving posture, so you can enjoy better overall health, as well as a reduction in painful symptoms.

Like every treatment he provides, Dr. German customizes postural rehabilitation therapy based on each patient’s symptoms, overall health, risk factors for medical problems, and other factors.

Together, you’ll work with Dr. German to optimize your body’s biomechanics while seeking to realign bones, joints, and the rest of your musculoskeletal system. Then, he’ll teach you special exercises and stretching techniques to prevent your body from falling back into bad posture habits.

Learn more about postural rehabilitation

Certified in Posture Neurology by the American Posture Institute, Dr. German is uniquely trained and educated to help people of all ages improve their posture and enjoy optimal health. To learn more about postural rehabilitation and how it can help you, book an appointment online or over the phone at our Manassas, Virginia, office today.