Don’t Slouch!

All of us have heard these instructions at least once in our lifetime. However, many of us disregard this common command in our everyday lives. Think about how many times a day you spend; bent over a computer, looking down at your phone, or slouching on the couch. All of these things are common displays poor posture that can lead you to feeling discomfort and pain. It’s often easy to see and point out signs of poor posture in other people, but it can be harder to notice and break poor postural habits of your own.
So what exactly is correct posture? 
Correct posture is when our joints are aligned properly with little stress placed on our postural muscles and ligaments.
There are many postural muscles in our bodies that help us lie down, sit and stand. When we have poor posture, extra stress is put on these muscles and the ligaments around our joints. This additional stress can cause the muscles to go into overdrive trying to support your bones and joints. Over time, if these bad postural habits go unaddressed, it causes the postural muscles to be overused, weak and stretched out. These impacts only make posture worse and more difficult to correct it.
One of the most common contributors of poor posture is the overuse of cell phones and tablets. Why?
Think about when you use these devices. What is your body position like? You are more than likely looking down at a small screen for extended periods of time. Over time, this will put additional stress on the muscles in our necks and backs, which may cause us to feel pain.
Another common cause of poor posture is from having a job that requires you to sit at a desk and work on a computer for prolonged hours.
Frequently, our workstations are not ergonomically correct. Our computer monitors are not in the correct position in relation to our eyes, our desks are too low or too high and/or the chair we sit in is not adjusted correctly to fit our bodies. These factors can cause us to experience the side effects associated with poor posture.
If you feel like you may have poor postural habits or are experiencing pain from bad posture, you’re in luck! Physical therapy is a conservative treatment method that can help individuals with poor postural habits. At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, our physical therapists will teach you ways to adjust your work space and home to help improve your postural habits. You’ll learn strengthening and mobility exercises that will help promote postural stability and endurance. With these exercises and adjustments your discomfort will disappear.
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
Don’t let poor posture prevent you from sitting, standing, or sleeping comfortably. Call Loudoun Sports Therapy Center at 703-450-4300 TODAY and schedule your personalized evaluation. 
CLICK HEREfor a short video on how to properly adjust your car so you demonstrate proper posture while driving.