Bad posture #1: Hunchback
Causes: Commonly caused by sitting hunched for long hours without stretching, for example in front of a computer screen.
Identification: Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you notice that your upper back is excessively curved (greater than 40-45 degrees) as in the photo to the right, you have hunchback posture.
Problem: This poor sitting posture causes the chest muscles to tighten up, leading to an excessively curved back in the thoracic (upper back) region. The muscles of the upper back loosen and weaken. Causes pain in the neck, shoulder, and back.
Causes: Commonly caused by sitting hunched for long hours without stretching, for example in front of a computer screen.
Identification: Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you notice that your upper back is excessively curved (greater than 40-45 degrees) as in the photo to the right, you have hunchback posture.
Problem: This poor sitting posture causes the chest muscles to tighten up, leading to an excessively curved back in the thoracic (upper back) region. The muscles of the upper back loosen and weaken. Causes pain in the neck, shoulder, and back.
Bad posture #2: Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Cause: Long periods of sitting without stretching, tightening the hip flexors (muscles which allow you to move your thighs up towards your abdomen).
Identification: Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you look like the person on the left, you probably have anterior pelvic tilt.
Problem: Hip flexors tighten and glutes (muscles of the buttock) become weak. Another major problem is the way you would look, having your belly stuck out. May cause pain in the lower back.
Cause: Long periods of sitting without stretching, tightening the hip flexors (muscles which allow you to move your thighs up towards your abdomen).
Identification: Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you look like the person on the left, you probably have anterior pelvic tilt.
Problem: Hip flexors tighten and glutes (muscles of the buttock) become weak. Another major problem is the way you would look, having your belly stuck out. May cause pain in the lower back.
Bad posture #3: Rounded Shoulder
Cause: Sitting in a bad position/posture while typing for a long time, or imbalanced exercise regime involving excessive chest pressing.
Identification – The “Pencil Test” is a method involving the patient to hold a pencil or pen in each of his hands. As shown in the photo above, if the pencils are pointing straight forward with your arms comfortably at his sides, this indicates a correct posture. If on the other hand the pencils are facing each other, or are rotated at an angle, then you have internally rotated shoulders (rounded shoulder).
Problem: Sitting in this kind of positions tightens the chest muscles, causing the shoulders to rotate forward internally. The muscles of the upper back weaken and loosen, resulting in possible pains on neck, shoulder and back.
Cause: Sitting in a bad position/posture while typing for a long time, or imbalanced exercise regime involving excessive chest pressing.
Identification – The “Pencil Test” is a method involving the patient to hold a pencil or pen in each of his hands. As shown in the photo above, if the pencils are pointing straight forward with your arms comfortably at his sides, this indicates a correct posture. If on the other hand the pencils are facing each other, or are rotated at an angle, then you have internally rotated shoulders (rounded shoulder).
Problem: Sitting in this kind of positions tightens the chest muscles, causing the shoulders to rotate forward internally. The muscles of the upper back weaken and loosen, resulting in possible pains on neck, shoulder and back.
Bad posture #4: Over-Pronated Feet
Cause: Pregnancy, obesity, inappropriate footwear can all weaken the arch, resulting in over-pronation of the foot and sometimes flat feet.
Identification – As shown in the photo above, put both hands 1 inch away from each side of your foot. Straighten your ankle so that the space between each hand and your ankle is equidistant. Now naturally let your ankle and feet rest. If your foot and ankle caves inward, you have over-pronated feet.
Problem: It adds pressure onto the foot, tightens the calf muscles, and may rotate the knees towards each other. Conditions such as Metatarsalgia (pain in the toes of the feet), heel spurs (growth of an extra bone from the heel), plantar fasciitis (pain in the sole of the foot), and bunions (a condition where the part where the great toe joins the rest of the foot, points outwards) are frequently resulted. Medial knee pain, hip pain, and low back pain are also brought with.
Cause: Pregnancy, obesity, inappropriate footwear can all weaken the arch, resulting in over-pronation of the foot and sometimes flat feet.
Identification – As shown in the photo above, put both hands 1 inch away from each side of your foot. Straighten your ankle so that the space between each hand and your ankle is equidistant. Now naturally let your ankle and feet rest. If your foot and ankle caves inward, you have over-pronated feet.
Problem: It adds pressure onto the foot, tightens the calf muscles, and may rotate the knees towards each other. Conditions such as Metatarsalgia (pain in the toes of the feet), heel spurs (growth of an extra bone from the heel), plantar fasciitis (pain in the sole of the foot), and bunions (a condition where the part where the great toe joins the rest of the foot, points outwards) are frequently resulted. Medial knee pain, hip pain, and low back pain are also brought with.
Bad posture #5: Forward Head
Cause – Sitting in an chair hunched over while staring at a computer for extensive sessions.
Identification – Let someone take a photo of you standing sideways like what is shown in the photo on the left, locate the AC joint (pointed bony protrusion on the side of your shoulder) and check if your ear lobe is on top of the AC joint. If your ear lobe extends in front of your AC joint, you have a forward head posture.
Problem: Muscles in the back of the neck become tight, along with the upper back muscles of trapezius and levator scapulae. Creates pain in the neck.
Cause – Sitting in an chair hunched over while staring at a computer for extensive sessions.
Identification – Let someone take a photo of you standing sideways like what is shown in the photo on the left, locate the AC joint (pointed bony protrusion on the side of your shoulder) and check if your ear lobe is on top of the AC joint. If your ear lobe extends in front of your AC joint, you have a forward head posture.
Problem: Muscles in the back of the neck become tight, along with the upper back muscles of trapezius and levator scapulae. Creates pain in the neck.
Bad Posture #6: Forward Hip Tilt
Cause – Sitting too much and not stretching, which shortens the hip flexors.
Identification – It can be pretty hard trying to identify a forward tilt, one way of identifying is to purposely tilt your pelvis forward as far as you can, then backward as far as you can. You may realize your natural hip tilt is not far away from the exaggerated forward tilt, which is bad.
Problem – Forward hip tilt is associated with the tight hip flexors, which is a group of muscles in the front of your hips which pulls the knee upward. As you walk, tight hip flexors prevent the gluteus maximus(butt muscles) from activating, which forcing the hamstring muscles to become overworked and excessively tight. If you have tight hamstrings, the root cause may be tight hip flexors and an forward hip tilt.
Sources:
http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/28/posture-problems/
http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/top-5-bad-postures-that-can-affect-your-health/
http://www.swolept.com/posts/fixing-anterior-pelvic-tilt-posture-tricks-to-make-your-butt-and-gut-smaller#.Ut5BAPawpGH
Cause – Sitting too much and not stretching, which shortens the hip flexors.
Identification – It can be pretty hard trying to identify a forward tilt, one way of identifying is to purposely tilt your pelvis forward as far as you can, then backward as far as you can. You may realize your natural hip tilt is not far away from the exaggerated forward tilt, which is bad.
Problem – Forward hip tilt is associated with the tight hip flexors, which is a group of muscles in the front of your hips which pulls the knee upward. As you walk, tight hip flexors prevent the gluteus maximus(butt muscles) from activating, which forcing the hamstring muscles to become overworked and excessively tight. If you have tight hamstrings, the root cause may be tight hip flexors and an forward hip tilt.
Sources:
http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/28/posture-problems/
http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/top-5-bad-postures-that-can-affect-your-health/
http://www.swolept.com/posts/fixing-anterior-pelvic-tilt-posture-tricks-to-make-your-butt-and-gut-smaller#.Ut5BAPawpGH
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