If there's one thing you can learn from today's blog entry, it's that posture is powerful!

A lot can be said about a person based on their posture. In fact, it can have a major effect on how you look and feel. Research shows your posture conveys a lot of information to the world around you about your mental and emotional state. But that’s not all… Posture can also be a window into your overall health. According to the American Journal of Pain Management, “To live a long, active, energetic life, few things matter more than good posture.”

The first x-ray above, on the left, is an example of what many doctors would identify as "healthy" - almost perfect.

The second x-ray, on the right, is an example of very poor posture. What can be said about the overall health of this patient? Parkinson’s Disease, constipation, incontinence, low back and pelvic pain, headaches, extreme stiffness of the neck muscles, insomnia, foggy memory, and kidney trouble.

So, what’s the connection? The spinal cord itself is intended to fit loosely within neural canal of the spine. It should never be stressed or agitated. Thanks to good posture, the left picture suggests this "normal" presentation. However, when the cervical spine translates forward due to poor posture, the spinal cord becomes stretched, hindering its laxity. This can impact the function of the entire nervous system, and all of the organs and tissues it controls.

Nobel-prize winner Roger Sperry, Ph.D., advocated this concept when he said, “The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for healing, metabolism, and thought.”

This is why it's so important for people to have a chiropractor to call their own. Just like you go to the dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy, visiting your chiropractor to make sure your spine and nervous system are healthy is a smart thing to do!

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Adam Tanase, D.C.

www.drtanase.com

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