As a practicing chiropractor of 35 years, I have seen how important good posture is to our health. We all know that poor posture can cause neck and lower back pain. But did you know that poor posture is linked to high blood pressure and even a shorter life? This article will discuss poor posture and its harmful effects on the body. Normal posture will be defined. How to achieve proper posture will be discussed.

In 2004, Deborah Kado MD and colleagues published a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society who discussed bad posture. He used the term called hyperkyphosis. Hyperkyphosis can be simply described as postural stooping; where the head and shoulders fall forward. He noted that older people with hyperkyphotic posture were 44% more likely to die. She linked poor posture to a higher death rate due to atherosclerosis, which is simply hardening and blockage of the arteries.

In 2019 the Asian Spine Journal published a scientific research article detailing an increase in hypertension (high blood pressure) in middle-aged and elderly people. The average average age of those who participated in the study was close to 80 years old, but the authors noted that poor postural changes began when people were in their 30s.

The normal posture can be imagined as if we were looking at a military man who stands to attention. His heads and shoulders are back. They definitely do not have a stooped upper body posture. Your stomach and hips are also pulled back and not pushed forward. If you look at them from the side, you can draw a straight line from the ankle, through the hip, continuing down the middle of the shoulder and through the opening of the ear. They look good! Their clothes fit better. They behave with respect for themselves.

In my chiropractic practice I work daily to improve the posture of my patients. If your spine and pelvis are out of alignment, I use various chiropractic techniques to bring them back into proper alignment. If they came into the office with neck and back pain, this almost always brings relief from the pain. I also show them very simple stretching and strengthening exercises to help them with their posture.

One visualization I like to convey is to imagine yourself standing as if a helium balloon is tied with a string to the top of your head. Automatically, this brings one’s posture to a much better state. If you stand, walk and sit with this image in mind, you can’t help but improve your posture and ultimately your health.