If you have spent the time reading our other two blog posts on posture, you would have heard us discuss some of the main causes of poor posture, the effects it has on the body and why we should address it in its infancy. Hopefully you would have also followed through on some of our recommendations on how to address it in the workplace and at home and have already started to see some improvement.
This blog is going to detail how we specifically treat poor posture and the associated symptoms we commonly see at Advanced Health Chiropractic and how we have helped over 7,000 of your South Loop and Chicago neighbors effectively deal with a similar issue.
Before treating any condition, the root cause of the issue must be diagnosed and highlighted before any form of treatment is commenced. This must start with a detailed health history so we can piece together the timeline of what has contributed to your poor posture and how it is affecting your life. We will also focus the consultation on laying down specific goals for us all to work towards.
Following the consultation, a detailed examination will be performed, which consists of assessing the range of motion in the spine and extremities, which will help us diagnose any soft tissue pathology that is contributing to poor posture. A functional movement exam will also be performed to assess how well or poorly the muscle groups in your upper or lower extremity are working. These two exams will allow us to figure out key pieces of information that will be imperative when treating poor posture and its associated symptoms. Lastly, we will take some digital x-rays to evaluate the structure and function of your spine so we can objectively diagnose the root cause of your issue, allowing us to put together a specific plan of action to achieve the health and wellness goals we put in place together in the consultation.
Once the evaluation has been completed, we will go through our treatment recommendations, with a customized treatment plan put in place to get you working towards your goals.
Our first goal is to improve range of motion within the joint and the tissue of the affected area. With poor posture this will either be the upper portion of the spine and shoulders or the lower back and pelvis. We achieve this through addressing the soft tissue through trigger point therapy, which works on breaking down scar tissue within the muscles. By doing this we can improve the resting length of the tissue. We will then perform both static and dynamic stretching to improve the flexibility in the joint and tissue. We use state of the art vibrational technology via the power plate, which increases muscle fiber recruitment to decrease healing time.
Chiropractic adjustments will be performed to the spine and extremity to improve joint functionality and take stress and tension off the joint, tissue and nerve. Following this, spinal traction will be performed to the spine, addressing structural misalignments allowing for objective and long-term improvement. We practice a specific technique called Chiropractic Bio Physics, which is the most clinically researched and supported form of chiropractic, which offers objective change in the spine and long-term results.
In phase one, you should expect to see an improvement in both the frequency of the pain and the quality of the pain. Also, we should see improvement in our daily function.
Once we have seen improvement in these three areas, we can then start to increase the treatment protocols through some specific soft tissue therapy called myofascial release, which takes the damaged tissue through range of motion while under tension, allowing us to restore the tissue to its full health. To supplement this, a more dynamic form of physical therapy will be performed to address weaknesses in the core and posterior chain. This is where we will address weak muscles and begin to stabilize them so they can start supporting your spine and keep us in good posture, especially when in motion. After this phase we should see really positive improvement in how well the spine functions, as having better mobility and stability will create less compensation on the spine.
In phase three we really focus on improving movement patterns and global movement as a whole, by stabilizing and strengthening the postural muscles such as the pelvic floor and posterior chain, allowing for long term results. Once we have achieved our goals and we are pain free, we will provide you with all of the tools and information you need to make sure your posture is fixed for the long term and you can enjoy life as you should, without limitation and restriction.
Advanced Health Chiropractic separates itself from other clinics because the way we approach and treat each patient and their unique condition encompasses treatment from chiropractic care to spinal traction to soft tissue therapy and physical therapy. In healthcare there is too much of ‘this way is better than your way’, which pigeonholes many clinics and providers into only practicing a certain way. When a combined approach is used, it utilizes the best pieces from multiple disciplines allowing for a unique form of treatment, which offers unique results.
If you have been suffering with poor posture and its associated symptoms, then I encourage you to give us a call. Through a detailed health history and a comprehensive exam, we will be able to pinpoint your issue and provide you with specific steps for how we can get your posture corrected quickly and objectively for the long term. We look forward to seeing to seeing you in the clinic so you can start living your life pain free again.
