Untitled Document

As an osteopath it is my job to stare at people. Is one shoulder held higher than the other? Is the pelvis a bit twisted? Why is the head held like that? The trouble is that it becomes so automatic I can't help but do the same even when I am off duty.

For those of you who work in offices bashing away on computers, take a look around the office next time you're in. I almost defy you to find anyone who has a good working posture. And what effect is that posture having on the body?

It is surprising how well our bodies cope with the postures we force them into. If you become used to slumping over your PC eventually your body gives up telling you about the tension that builds up in your upper back and about the stiffness in the neck. It becomes 'normal' as far as your brain and body are concerned.

And it's not only a case of increasing tensions in the back, neck and across the shoulders. Imagine what is happening to the rib cage. The slumped posture squashes the ribs together and inevitably restricts the breathing mechanism making it impossible to take a good, deep breath. This could leave you more prone to coughs, colds, and flu bugs. The further slumped you become the more pressure you put on the stomach, liver and the rest of the digestive system. With limited space in which to operate the whole digestive process can become affected with heartburn, gastritis, constipation and general symptoms of indigestion possible.

Circulation is also affected. Increased tensions in the soft tissues will restrict circulation of blood and drainage of lymph. When blood can't effectively deliver nutrients, and waste products are not efficiently removed from tissues, problems with inflammation, swelling, tingling and even tiredness and fatigue can eventually occur.

Posture can also affect us mentally as well as physically. Imagine the sort of posture a depressed person has. Slumped, head drooped, shoulders rolled forward . . . . in fact more or less the same sort of posture as someone who spends forever in front of a computer.

Most of us are completely unaware of the postures we get ourselves into and if you're not even aware that you are doing something it's going to be difficult to change it. One way to become more aware of your own posture is to watch what everyone else is doing to themselves.

Since many of the problems I treat are posture related it makes sense to try and become more aware of your own posture.