How Your Posture Affects Your Joint Health

Introduction

Your posture is the position in which you hold your body when standing or sitting. It is an automatic adjustment that you may not pay much attention to but can affect your spinal alignment and joint health in general.

Just like our bodies are different, posture is also unique. The musculoskeletal system is what maintains your posture with the muscles, ligaments, and tendons working with the joints to control your position. Everyday activities including sitting at a desk can lead to slouching which negatively affects the joints.

In this article, we will delve into how posture affects joints, its effects, and possible treatments and medication options. Read till the end for more insight.

How Poor Posture Affects Joint Health

While there is no such thing as perfect posture, bad habits such as slouching contribute to poor posture. In today’s world, it is easier to adopt a slouching posture as we work for hours at a desk or are fixated on our phones.

Slouching and other types of poor posture are known to cause muscle tension, back pain, joint pain, breathing issues, fatigue, and reduced circulation. Most importantly, slouching affects spinal alignment and joint health as it causes muscle strain and imbalance, excessive pressure on joints, and disc compression.

Know more – Practice Good Posture

The spine has three curves; the cervical spine (neck), the thoracic spine (middle back), and the lumbar spine (lower back). These curves give the spine a gently curved “S” shape which helps the spine withstand stress.

Dr. Amanda Dee Richardson chiropractor at Healing Hands Chiropractic

Posture significantly influences joint health, as poor alignment can lead to uneven stress on joints, causing pain or dysfunction over time. Individuals can promote joint health by being mindful of their posture, incorporating ergonomic workspaces, and performing exercises like yoga or Pilates that strengthen postural muscles.

With the cervical spine curved slightly inwards, the thoracic curved outwards, and the lumbar curved inwards, the spine is designed to support the body’s weight. The spine’s shape aligns the skull, ribcage, and pelvis. While the pelvis holds most of the body weight, it relies on the strength of the skull and ribcage to function properly.

A proper posture helps you maintain a healthy spine curvature and avoid aches and pains in the back, neck, and shoulders. Maintaining this healthy posture further helps you reduce wear and tear on your joints, especially the spine.

Pinched Nerves and Symptoms

Pinched Nerves and Symptoms

A pinched nerve is caused by too much pressure on the nerve by surrounding tissues including bones, muscles, cartilage, or tendons. Pinched nerves can occur in various parts of the body, for instance, a herniated disk in the lower spine may exert pressure on a nerve root causing pain that radiates down the back of the leg.

Sitting too long and bad posture can cause pinched nerves according to Dr. Brussell of Loma Linda University Health. Dr. Brussell provides that “most pinched nerves are felt in the lower back due to the sciatic nerve.” Depending on how you sit, pinched nerves can be felt in the neck, wrists, and legs.

You can identify pinched nerves through symptoms such as:

• Numbness in the areas supplied by the nerve
• Burning sensations that may radiate outwards
• Tingling or pins and needles feeling
• Muscle weakness in the affected area
• Sharp or aching pain
• Tingling or pins and needles sensations

Misaligned Spine and Its Effects

Misaligned Spine and Its Effects

Another way that posture affects spinal alignment and joint health is by causing a misaligned spine. A misaligned spine or spondylolisthesis is a condition where one of the vertebrae slips out of alignment. When this occurs, the vertebra that moved presses onto the nerve or nerve root causing pain and weakness.

There are different grades of spondylolisthesis, these are:

• Grade 1: Less than 25%
• Grade 2: 25-50%
• Grade 3: 50-75%
• Grade 4: More than 75%

A misaligned spine causes symptoms such as:

• Frequent headaches
• Lower back pain
• Neck and hip pain
• Muscle tightness
• Overall stiffness
• Numbness, pain, or tingling in the thighs or back of the leg
• Tenderness in the back
• Weakness in the legs
• Changes in walking patterns

More Frequent Headaches from Strain

Headaches and migraines have triggers such as poor posture when working on your computer, scrolling on your phone, or relaxing at home. Poor posture strains the neck and upper back which can lead to muscle tension and increased pressure on the neck.

The tension in the neck then contributes to dysfunction of the joints, discs, and muscles. Over time, the pattern of the dysfunctions becomes triggers of tension headaches, cervicogenic migraines as well as other migraines.

Headaches caused by poor posture typically start at the base of the skull radiate into the face and concentrate on the forehead. If poor posture is not corrected, the strain on the neck continues and worsens headache intensity and frequency.

Treatment and Medication Options

Good posture equals good spine health. It also keeps you free of nerve Now that we know how posture affects joints, we should look at the treatment and medication options available. These are:

• Physical Therapy: bad posture can benefit from physical therapy in five main ways including strengthening the muscles, improving muscle and joint flexibility, enhancing spinal strength, relieving, and conditioning of posture.
• Medications: using medications and supplements for pain caused by poor posture is another way to relieve joint pain. Joint supplements such as JointXL Plus are formulated with ingredients that provide relief for joint pain caused by menopause, stress, or poor posture. JointXL helps soothe joint discomfort, enhance mobility, and improve overall joint health effectively.
• Posture Correctors: to correct poor posture, you can seek chiropractic care where a chiropractor will correct postural imbalances using spinal adjustments and manipulations. Alternatively, you can perform exercises such as cat-cow yoga stretch, cobra pose, glute bridges, side reach, and over-and-backs.

Conclusion

Good posture and joint health are important for your overall health. Seeking treatments such as physical therapy, medications, and regular exercise can reduce the strain and pain caused by poor posture. Maintaining a good posture is not easy, but it is doable. Improve your posture by checking in on your posture regularly, activating your core muscles, wearing comfortable shoes, following a diet, and exercising regularly.