COMPUTER POSTURE

Contrary to popular opinion, the ideal position for your computer monitor is not at or below eye level. This is not a normal position for your neck.

 

The long term effects of abnormal posture can be devastating. The impact of spinal degeneration on your ability to function normally at work, at play or even in your relationships with others can be a significant limitation. 

In severe cases it can stop you from performing at all.

 

Position your monitor at a height where the middle of the screen is slightly above eye level.

This will allow your head and neck to be positioned at or near the ideal position the majority of the time.

Not only will this allow you to concentrate better, and to focus on the task at hand, but it will minimize the stress and strain upon all of your spinal tissues and reduce abnormal stress and strain upon the neck and shoulder muscles.

Make sure your spine rests firmly against the back rest and your legs are at right angles to the floor. Your feet should be able to touch to floor.

Normalizing your spinal posture while working on your computer is just one more way to improve your overall health.

Studies have shown that this will help your abnormal spinal position improve more rapidly, and will enable you to reduce stress on your spine, and therefore avoid a re-occurrence of postural spinal subluxation.

Avoidance of any abnormal spinal positions is most important to optimize your body function.

Remember, optimal posture is a major part of optimal health. Optimal health keeps all of your options open in life.

Complete Chiropractic St Albans, First Floor, 15 High Street, St Albans   Herts AL3 4EH  Ph. 01727 848 481

Improving Your Posture

When standing - hold you head high, chin firmly forward, shoulders back, chest out and stomach tucked in to increase your balance. If you stand all day in a job like a cashier or clerk, rest one foot on a stool or take breaks to get off your feet for a while.

 

When sitting - use a chair with firm low back support. Keep desk or table top elbow high, adjust the chair or use a foot rest to keep pressure off the back off the legs, and keep your knees level or slightly higher than your hips.

Get up and stretch frequently - every hour if you sit for long periods of time. Do not sit on a fat wallet, it can cause hip imbalance!

When sitting in the car - adjust the seat forward so your knees are higher than your hips. Put a small pillow or cushion in the small of your back.

When sleeping - sleep on your side with your knees bent and head supported by a pillow, to make your head level with your spine. Or sleep on your back, avoiding thick pillows under your head. Use a small pillow under your neck instead. Don’t sleep on your stomach.

When lifting - let your legs do the work in order to prevent injury to your low back. Stand close to the object, then where possible squat down and straddle it. Grasp the object, and slowly lift the load by straightening your legs as you stand up. Carry the object close to your body.

When bending - never twist from the waist and bend forward at the same time. To lift or reach something on the floor, bend the knees while keeping the back straight.

 

The Spinal Model

Complete Chiropractic St Albans, First Floor, 15 High Street, St Albans   Herts AL3 4EH  Ph. 01727 848 481

Your body and spine is an incredible marvel of engineering, being able to withstand large forces and yet maintaining great flexibility.

The ideal spine at rest consumes practically no energy to support upright standing posture.  If it were to be maintained properly, the spine could easily last 120-150 years with minimal degeneration or arthritis.  

The Harrison Spinal Model http://www.idealspine.com/ is our goal of care for correction. Just like blood pressure, there are normal ranges for spinal alignment. When you fall outside of these normal ranges, the spine will degenerate faster than it should and wear like a car tire that is not properly  balanced. 

The human spine should be straight from the front and have 3 curves when viewed from the side

It is quite obvious why our spines need to be as straight as possible from the front, but those without an engineering  background may fail to see the need for curves when viewed from the side. 

Let's take the neck for example.

The arc in the neck provides leverage for muscles which move the head, while also distributing the forces of gravity through the spine.

The ideal shape of the spine is an amazing balance of natural

forces that are constantly challenging us. These include such loads as compression, tension and shear. How efficient our spines are to resisting these detrimental forces is di

rectly related to health.

By altering and restoring the natural curves of the spine we can help you get rid of neck and low back pain and prevent the spine from wear and tear.

 

Good Posture and Ageing

Good Posture and Ageing

Making sure you have good posture as you age is extremely important. Poor posture can cause and contribute to many complaints that can be greatly reduced with the right care and attention to your body.

Limit Your Range of Motion

Muscles can be permanently shortened or stretched when a slumped over position becomes your normal position. Muscles and ligaments that have been shortened or stretched no longer function as they should.

Increase Discomfort and Pain

It can often cause headaches and pain in the shoulders, arms, hands and around the eyes resulting from a forward-head position. Rounded shoulders can trigger the headaches at the base of your skull where the shoulder muscles attach.

Create Pain in the Jaw

A forward head position can lead to jaw pain. This kind of pain known as TMJ (temporomandibular joint disease) was once considered only a dental problem. Today we know that TMJ pain also may be caused or aggravated by faulty posture.

Decrease Lung Capacity

Reducing the amount of oxygen in your body can decrease the space in your chest cavity, restricting efficient functioning of your lungs.

Cause Low Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common consequences of bad posture. For people over 35, low back pain is often interpreted as a sure sign of age, although it may have been developing since childhood.

Cause Nerve Interference

Your spine is the basis of your posture. If your posture is bad, your spine can be misaligned. Spinal misalignments cause interference in nerve function.

Affect Proper Bowel Function

If you have rounded shoulder, head forward posture, it may affect your bowels. If your spine arches and sways forward, your intestines may sag and cause constipation.

Make You Look Older Than You Are

When you are slumped or hunched over, you can add years to your appearance. For women, the more rounded the shoulders, the more breasts may sag. Any woman, no mater what her age, can help reduce the sag in her breasts by nearly 50% by simply standing tall.



the consequences of poor posture over a lifetime



Complete Chiropractic St Albans, First Floor, 15 High Street, St Albans   Herts AL3 4EH  Ph. 01727 848 481