How Bad Posture Can Lead To Problems

Bad posture is the result of certain muscles shortening or tightening up, while others become weak and lengthen. The irregularities of these muscles are often caused by a person’s improper execution of daily activities, along with other biochemical factors, such as repetition and force.

Contrary to popular belief, bad posture doesn’t only affect the physical body. Over time, bad posture can create psychosocial effects, such as strain and chronic stress. Individuals who have bad posture are more susceptible to different neck, shoulder, and back injuries.

Here’s how bad posture can lead to problems:

 

  1. Back And Shoulder Pain

A lot of people diagnose themselves in having poor posture once they experience back and shoulder pain, which they’re right. Slouching all the time can create pressure in your upper back and shoulders, which can lead to a permanent hump if not corrected immediately.

On the other side of the coin, overcorrecting your posture also comes with several consequences, as well. Pulling your shoulders too far back can put too much stress on your muscles, resulting in stiffness.

If you want to implement the right strategies in treating your poor posture, consult a professional, and consider using a posture corrector brace. With a medical professional’s approval and by using the right type of brace, you can gradually improve your posture and ward off back and shoulder pain.

 

  1. Lung Function

Your lungs play a significant role in your health as this organ is responsible for your breathing. Unfortunately, having bad posture can also harm your lungs in the long run.

If you always lean or hunch forward, your lung function will be compromised. It’ll be hard for your lungs to produce and circulate air if your body is no longer in its proper alignment.

When your lungs aren’t functioning to its full potential, other organs in your body will also suffer. Lack of oxygen can damage your heart and brain, which can result in shortness of breath, poor cognitive functions, and cardiovascular diseases.

 

  1. Gastrointestinal Issues

Although your intestine performs on their own, your posture can also affect their efficiency to handle the job. Poor posture can hinder the ability of your intestine to carry food from the mouth to the anus, and absorb nutrients from the food you eat.

This works because whenever you assume a slouching position, all of the organs in your abdomen are compressed. This will make it hard for your body to break down and digest food. This can also become the reason why your metabolism will decrease.

 

  1. Headaches And Jaw Pain

Bad posture might be evident in your spine and back, but its effects don’t only focus on these areas of the body. Bad posture can lead to discomfort — recurring headaches and jaw pain are just two common examples.

Having bad posture will force your body to lean forward. Doing this regularly will clench your jaw, causing the muscles in your face to tighten and can result in severe headaches and jaw pain. The longer you practice having bad posture, the more severe the effects of these headaches and jaw pain can get.

Moreover, clenching your jaw regularly can weaken the joints and can lead to more severe issues, like temporomandibular joint disorder. This can cause oversensitivity of the teeth, permanent damage to your jawbone, and poor alignment of your jaws.

 

  1. Fatigue

If you don’t have any energy, it’ll be challenging for you to carry out simple chores. Reporting to work on time and taking your daily commute can become tedious tasks if you have low energy.

Several factors can affect your energy for the day. Your posture is one of them. Having poor posture can add compression and tension to the structures of your body that weren’t meant to carry a lot of weight. When these stresses build-up, all of your bones, ligaments, and joints will be weaken.

Moreover, poor posture can take a toll on your energy levels because the body requires more energy and work in order to function properly. Since poor posture compresses some of your vital organs, the body needs to work harder to compensate for these inefficiencies.

 

  1. Sexual Functions

The consequences of poor posture aren’t only limited to your physical activities. Poor posture can also impact your sex life and, eventually, your relationships.

Sacral sitting is a position that puts too much weight on your sacrum and pelvis. Sitting this way can often lead to poor sex life as this posture can tighten and shorten your pelvic floor muscles.

These muscles are responsible for men’s ability to ejaculate and for women’s sexual arousal and orgasms.

 

  1. Mental Health

Your mental health plays a significant role in your overall wellness. When you have poor mental health, you won’t have any motivation to work out and eat right, leading to countless health issues. It’ll be hard to maintain a healthy weight and physique if your mind is full of negative thoughts.

For you to achieve your fitness goals faster, start improving your posture. Bad posture can affect your mental health because it can cause stress. As mentioned, poor posture can strain your body and compromise your physical abilities that can result in mental stress. Thus, when left untreated, poor posture can become the reason why your mood and motivation will decrease.

 

  1. Arthritis

Arthritis is more than just joint pain. This health condition can cause intolerable pain to your knees and fingers, which can limit your productivity and range of motion. Since it’s a systematic disease, arthritis can also affect your skin, eyes, and lungs.

It’ll be hard to prevent arthritis if you have poor posture. Misalignment of your knees and spine can cause too much stress to the former, increasing your susceptibility to arthritis. This misalignment can also worsen the effects of arthritis on the body and can eventually decrease the quality of your life.

 

Talk To Pros

For you to avoid any risks associated with bad posture, assess if you’re slouching, tilting your head forward, and have rounded shoulders. These are common symptoms of bad posture.

But, if you want to be certain with the diagnosis and immediately seek treatment, start working with professionals as soon as possible. Osteopaths and chiropractors can professionally asses your posture and come up with the necessary treatment for you to finally practice good posture!

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Written by HealthStatus Crew
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus teams with authors from organizations to share interesting ideas, products and new health information to our readers.

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