The term "incorrect posture" is familiar to many. However, under this designation lies not only the stoop familiar to everyone, but also more serious health problems. The consequences of incorrect posture in children and adults, as well as its causes and signs are presented in the article.
Correct posture
A normal situation is when there is no warping of the shoulder blades and shoulders, while the head is standing upright, and the spine bends smoothly, without excesses and protrusion. At the same time, one gets the impression that the person is standing upright, and his back is perfectly straight. Unfortunately, correct posture is rare today. Does this mean that all people have problems with the spine? No, curvatures and other unpleasant pathologies are not so common, but such people look stooped and tired of the burden of life's problems.
Signs of incorrect posture
All changes in the spine that are not the result of trauma can be attributed to the definition of "incorrect posture." It has the following symptoms:
- The head comes forward or bends. In this case, the inclination can be in all directions, but most often forward or to the side.
- The shoulder blades bulge outward.
- Shoulders strive forward. They are bent, and you can bring them into a normal position only by applying some effort.
- The chest goes inside.
- The back visually looks hunched over.
- The pelvis is knocked out of a flat strip and tends forward or backward.
- The shoulders are at different levels.
With good posture, the body is even, does not lean in any direction, the head is straight, and the back is straight.
Causes of curvature
Improper posture can be not only due to hunched sitting on a chair, but also for a number of other reasons:
- Congenital pathology of the skeleton. This reason is quite rare, at the same time it is very difficult to fix. With age, changes become more noticeable, and can also cause some discomfort. Most often in such cases, surgical correction of the spine is required.
- Frequent sitting in bent water. This habit begins to form in kindergarten and elementary school. The mother’s task is to control the child’s posture, otherwise the body is rebuilt and stoop occurs even in a standing position. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle may be associated with work, for example among office staff.
- Excessive physical activity can lower the shoulders down and bend the spine.
- Excess weight, under the weight of which the spine also acquires an unnatural form.
- Carrying a bag or briefcase on one shoulder makes you bend to the other side, lifting the burden with your shoulder.
- Unnatural sleeping postures or an overly soft mattress.
Also, poor vision can be the cause of poor posture, as a result of which a person has to bend down in a sitting position to make any recording. In addition, high heels in women also adversely affect the spine.
Varieties
Depending on the nature of the curvature, the following types of incorrect posture are distinguished:
- Stoop is a pathology in which the omission of the head, shoulders, and a softly rounded back are noted.
- A flat back is a phenomenon in which there are no anatomical bends of the spine, in particular, natural deflection. A characteristic sign is a protruding belly.
- A flat-concave back is a condition in which, in a sitting position, the back is even, and when walking a person looks stooped.
- Round back. This pathology is characterized by a strong bend of the spine in the area of the shoulder blades. If there is no solution to the problem, a hump can occur.
- Scoliosis is a condition in which there is a curvature of the spine, due to which a person looks unnaturally skewed.
Pathology is easy to identify, because with a curved spine a person can not sit for a long time even, even with a developed muscle corset.
Effects
Improper posture can lead to such diseases:
- Kyphosis is a pathology in which curvature of the spine is observed in the thoracic region. It is most often characteristic of girls and develops in adolescence.
- Lordosis is a type of bending of the spine in the cervical and lumbar spine. In this case, a characteristic protruding belly appears.
In the early stages of the development of such conditions, the problem can still be solved in simple ways.
What does it lead to?
The consequences of poor posture in women can be as follows:
- Headache that occurs due to improper back position.
- Pain in the lumbar spine.
- Discomfort in the thoracic spine. Sometimes it also appears in the chest. It can be difficult to breathe.
- Neck pain and numbness.
- Chronic muscle spasm.
- Deformation of the chest with limited mobility.
- Pressure on the heart muscle of the chest.
- Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract due to its incorrect position.
- Pathological changes in the pelvic organs.
- Arthrosis, in which the motor function of the spine is impaired.
- Hernias resulting from compression of the intervertebral fluid.
- Pinching or inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which is accompanied by acute pain.
- Protrusion is a condition in which the intervertebral fibrous ring loses its elasticity, as a result of which the intervertebral discs are displaced inward.
- Improper posture can lead to radiculitis. It manifests itself in characteristic "lumbago" in the spine.
The consequences of incorrect posture can be difficult to correct, so it is recommended to monitor the position of your own back.
How to fix?
Despite the seriousness of the possible consequences, this can be corrected by simple methods. This should be done when the first signs of incorrect posture are detected:
- It is recommended that women reduce the height of the heel to 5 cm. Anything higher can contribute to the incorrect position of the back.
- A sedentary lifestyle can be diluted with moderate physical activity, among which swimming, fitness and yoga are especially useful for the spine.
- Constant monitoring of the position of the spine when walking, sitting. It is important to abandon the habit of keeping hands in pockets, as this can also provoke a stoop.
- Excess weight puts pressure on the spine. If you get rid of it, then this load will disappear.
It is also useful to wear bandages that are worn on the back and straighten the shoulders.
How to determine?
Improper posture can lead to many back problems. Therefore, it is very important to determine it in the early stages. There are several ways to learn about curvature of the spine:
- You need to stand near the wall, leaning against her back. Normally, there should be free space between the back and the wall. A hand should pass through it. If it passes too freely or, conversely, does not pass at all, then the back is twisted.
- It is necessary to attach a thread with a tied load to the seventh cervical vertebra. By such a pendulum, scoliosis can be determined. To do this, he must deviate at the level of the gluteal region.
- You can also determine incorrect posture by the deviation of the shoulder blades up, which appears when the back is bent.
The nature and degree of development can only be determined by a specialist after a thorough diagnosis. Independent examination measures only show the need for a doctor's visit.
How to maintain posture?
Spinal curvature can occur at any age due to the causes described above. In order to prevent this from happening, orthopedic specialists recommend following these simple rules:
- Self-discipline that prevents you from relaxing and hunching your back. It is necessary to constantly monitor that the back is even, the shoulders are straightened, and the head is raised.
- Sitting on a chair, you should always press your back against the back of the stool. It is also recommended that you keep your legs at an angle of 90 degrees, do not cross them with each other and do not put your foot on the foot.
- You need to sleep on a hard mattress with a small pillow under your head, which should also be of medium softness.
- Reading in a prone position harms not only vision, but also posture, as the spine assumes an unnatural position.
- It is not necessary to carry weights in one hand, it is important to evenly distribute the weight.
- Regular exercise gives you more self-confidence, removes excess weight, and also helps to keep your back level.
Improper posture can lead to serious consequences, which will be difficult to fix. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the condition of your back from an early age.