If you’re like a lot of people, you probably spend many hours a day sitting. Whether you’re behind the wheel commuting to and from work or sitting at your computer, you may have developed poor posture.
At Berven Chiropractic, we want to help patients improve their posture. That’s because the spine houses our nervous system. You may have developed alterations such as your head being too far forward, or you have a side leaning posture that’s putting more pressure on the nervous system.
We see people all day long who sit at desks, and they have that forward head posture that affects their upper back and neck. And that posture affects their brain. To provide correction, Dr. Berven will check your posture and then perform an adjustment.
The Benefits of Adjustments and Exercises
Dr. Berven uses a variety of techniques based on each patient’s needs. After an adjustment, she almost always sees an improvement in posture. At subsequent visits, however, Dr. Berven will typically notice that patients have reverted to a posture that’s off. That’s why she recommends maintenance visits.
Also, Dr. Berven provides patients with exercises that they can do at home. “If they’re consistent about performing them, their posture can be improved,” she said.
Tips for Improving Your Posture
You may have heard that sitting is the new smoking due to the potential health problems associated with prolonged sitting. We recommend the following tips:
- Take breaks – If you must sit at a desk for your job, get up every half hour and walk around for a few minutes. There are many phone apps that you can use to remind you to stand up and move!
- Use a standing desk – An adjustable standing desk is ideal as you can raise and lower it throughout the day. Consider alternating between sitting and standing every half hour or so.
- Properly position your computer monitor – Set the middle of your screen 15-20 degrees at eye level to prevent neck, back and shoulder strain.
- Exercise your neck – We recommend that you do neck rotations and neck retractions. At your next appointment, we can show you how to perform there.
Want to get your posture checked? Contact us today to book an appointment!