The Chasm between Posture &
Chiropractic Education and Treatment (cont.)

Bad posture is a lifetime scenario for most people. (cont.) The consequences of bad posture are potentially damaging for the soft tissues as well. Evidence exists that some postural positions can compromise neural tissue by changing blood flow to the spinal cord itself.11 Flexed postures have also been associated with intervertabral disc damage.12 Clinically, we have all observed changes in muscle tension and function in patients who sit for long periods in front of computer screens that have not been set up for maximum postural ergonomics. Sustained abnormal postures cause the muscles to contract isometrically, which leads to hypoxia and tissue damage. Remember that connective tissue also adapts to sustained changes in posture.

It is well-known that tendons, ligaments and discs display time- and history-dependent viscoelastic properties that reflect the complex interaction of collagen and the surrounding ground substances and proteins.13-18 When a significant load is applied to spinal tissues and sustained over time, the tissue experiences creep (deformation) and stress relaxation (a decline in internal stress over a period of time). In other words, connective tissues undergo plastic changes that can become permanent. This is probably why many individuals who exhibit postural abnormalities cannot be placed into proper postural alignment with either short-term active or passive methods.

Patients with uncorrected abnormal postures are left to potentially suffer a wide variety of unpleasant conditions: neurovascular entrapment syndromes, myofascial pain syndromes, chronic strains, and a wide variety of other nonspecific musculoskeletal pain syndromes.1-5,7,19-20 Brendon Reilly, MD, states: " . . . chronic postural disorders are probably the most common initiating or contributory cause of chronic back pain."5

What Should We Do about Bad Posture? We should acknowledge that PTs, MDs and DCs all appreciate that poor posture is bad and good posture is, well, good. However, this observation by PTs, MDs and DCs is not really surprising, as parents untrained in spinal function also know that poor posture is detrimental. Moms and grandmothers are known for telling their slouching kids to "stand up straight." (more)