The health of you and everyone around you is being compromised by one simple daily task that we’re all guilty of. That’s a fairly bold statement isn’t it! We all know the dangers of prolonged sitting, eating unhealthy food choices and not engaging in regular exercise and activity, but this dangerous health hazard isn’t one of these. So what could it possibly be?
A study published in 2014 explained that the average person spends between two to four hours a day with their head tilted forward, reading and texting on a smart phone. This may not sound like much at first glance but consider that this time adds up to between 700-1400 hours of excessive and abnormal cervical spine stress per year. Now you can see the picture a bit clearer and why Chiropractors continually advice clients to be wary and conscious of their posture during daily activities. This equates approximately one month of looking down per year!
What Is This Doing To Our Health?
It has been demonstrated that secondary school and University students spend upwards of 5000 extra hours each year in the same unhealthy position. As well as this we now know that an extra 12 kilograms of pressure compresses the bones, muscles, joints, and discs of the neck when the head tilts forward at a 15 degree angle. The amount of stress on the spine continues to amplify with each additional 15 degrees of forward tilt. Consistent flexion of the head (i.e looking at your phone or computer) combined with forward pressure on spinal tissues creates wear and tear on the joints and discs that lead to abnormal spinal posture and increased degeneration. These events lead to significant health and function problems which stem directly from abnormal posture.
Abnormal Cervical Spine Stress & Posture
Poor posture represents more than just a cosmetic problem. It creates poor health from the inside-out. The aforementioned study has proven that abnormal posture leads to lowered testosterone, lowered serotonin, increased cortisol and reduced feelings of power. Conversely having good posture is associated with the opposite physiology, including a better balance of the nervous system and hormones. Proper alignment and movement of the spine directly influences the health of the brain and central nervous system.
The Importance Of Seeing Your Chiropractor
Chiropractors help offset the negative influence of poor posture due to mobile phone and computer use by aligning the spine and nervous system. For additional information regarding this interesting research please click
here
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