How Poor Posture Can Lead to Chronic Pain
Unfortunately, the importance of proper posture is often undermined or downplayed. Believe it or not, but years of maintaining good posture has the ability to save you from years of back ache and pain. We learn our postural habits at a very young age, so it’s better to develop good habits as early as possible so that we don’t inflict damaging effects in the long-run. But if you feel like it’s a little too late for you, don’t worry. It’s fairly simple to correct bad posture over time, which can help you relieve pain on the neck and spine.
What Happens with Poor Posture?
The spine is a foundational structure of your body that supports both the head and the neck. The neck is particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of poor posture because it’s easily influenced by the position of the skull and the curvature of the spine. If the neck leans forward, placing the head in front of the shoulders, the forward weight of the head can place considerable pressure and tension on the vertebrae of the neck. This position, if held repeatedly for long periods of time, has been found to contribute to disc deterioration and other degenerative conditions.
What else can cause your neck muscles to become tight and tense? Prolonged malposition of the spine or the head – like sitting hunched over an office desk over a period of time. This muscle tension often leads to pain and stiffness. There are also several other muscles that are particularly susceptible to damage caused by strain. A forward head position also places strain on the upper back and shoulder muscles. These formations are constantly working to correct and balance the improper placement of the head. Excessive muscle strain is a common culprit for recurring back pain.
The Result of Poor Posture
If you don’t intervene, poor posture can lead to numerous long-term back and neck issues. Improper posture can irritate the ligaments, joints and soft tissues in and surrounding the neck. This irritation may lead to the development of osteoarthritis, disc herniation or degenerative disc disease. It may also limit your range of motion and start the development of painful trigger points (areas of muscle that are extremely sensitive to touch).
How Can DOC Decompression Help?
If the effects of poor posture, among a variety of other possible factors, has led to injured spinal discs or facet joints that cause back pain, then you may find pain relief with DOC Decompression. This is a non-surgical and drug-free spinal decompression therapy. The decompression table creates negative intradiscal pressure to encourage the retraction of the herniated or bulging disc. This creates a lower pressure in the disc so that a flood of oxygen, healing substances, and nutrients can be brought straight to the affected area. This reinvigorates the natural healing and rebuilding process in the damaged spinal disc, and ultimately alleviates back pain.
If you are suffering from neck and/or back pain, please call us at (319) 774-8144 to see if you’re a candidate for one of our treatment options such as DOC Decompression.