| Living Monday, August 1, 2005 |
Straighten up for your
own good health
Bernadette Sedillos
Self
El Paso Times
When "Dr. Mom" nagged you
about sitting up straight or not slouching as you walk, she knew
what she was talking about.
Good posture isn't simply about
looking good; it's as important to the body as exercising and eating
a balanced diet, health professionals say.
"If your posture
isn't good, it can affect your body in so many ways," said Tessie
Moton, an occupational therapist with Rio Vista Outpatient Physical
Rehabilitation Center, 1380-A Lomaland.
Posture -- the way in
which the body is held when sitting, standing, walking, lifting or
even reclining -- is about balanced "body mechanics," Moton
said.
And as in a vehicle, when one part isn't working as it
should, it stresses other parts and affects the whole
car.
Common problems resulting from poor posture include disc
degeneration, sciatica, chronic back pain, hip and knee problems,
shoulder and neck pain and headaches.
All that from
slouching?
Yes, and more, health professionals
say.
"Aside from causing back and neck pain, bad posture can
affect your balance," Moton said. "It can affect your digestive
system -- from squishing your organs together in an unnatural
position for long periods of time."
Bad posture can also
affect a person's driving, which can be a safety hazard.
Good
posture, Moton said, helps the various joints, ligaments, tendons
and muscles function smoothly. However, when pressure, pulling or
other strain is exerted on the joints or muscles, problems -- and
pain -- can develop.
"You know that song, 'The hip bone's
connected to the thigh bone ... ?' " Moton asked. "Well, it's all
very true. It's like we're one big puzzle, and when one piece of the
puzzle is put out of alignment, the rest of the pieces don't fit the
way they're supposed to."
Back problems are the No. 2
most-common health ailment reported in the United States. They're
surpassed only by the common cold, said physical therapist Harry
Koster, owner of Spine & Rehab Specialists, which has several
locations in El Paso.
It's estimated that at least 80 percent
of Americans will have back problems at some time in their
lives.
Among those who know what an aching back feels like is
Rob Sifuentes of East El Paso, who still feels the aches and pains
of an old injury.
"I hurt my back lifting when I was in my
early 20s, and I can feel these pains that come and go," said
Sifuentes, now 44. "I can't lift stuff like I used to. I really feel
it when I play ball too."
Sifuentes, a maintenance worker at
an apartment complex, uses a lumbar support belt when he works. It
helps him keep proper posture, especially when lifting or
bending.
"My wife tells me I kind of slouch," he said,
laughing, and straightening out his shoulders.
Slouching can
become habitual, Koster said, because most people are inclined to be
a bit lazy with their posture.
"We all have to defy gravity,"
Koster said. "How much are you fighting gravity? Some of the reasons
we slouch are natural posture -- it's kind of easier to just slouch
-- and some of it is muscle weakness. Frankly, some of us are just
lazy, too."
Body mechanics
The variety of activities
that a person performs daily, and the position in which the body is
in when the activities occur, is an important part of
posture.
For example, the way you sit at work and the way
your arms are positioned on your chair or computer while you work
can make a huge difference in daily comfort levels.
Even the
way you may talk on the phone can affect your body's mechanics.
Scrunching your neck to one side while talking on the telephone is a
big no-no, yet so many people do it daily, Moton
said.
Sitting is one of the positions that can most hurt the
back if a person gets in the habit of slouching down in a
chair.
"Most people do not sit correctly," Koster said. "When
you slouch, you're putting more pressure on the discs in your back,
which will push them in a kind of backward direction. You can
eventually cause bulging discs or other problems."
The discs
to which Koster refers are the pads, or cushions, found between the
vertebrae. When the discs bulge or become herniated (pushing far
out), they can place pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing back and
leg pain and nerve damage.
Maintaining good posture --
standing with the shoulders back and a slight curve in the small of
the back -- may feel unnatural at first, but it can become second
nature.
"You should always make an effort to put your
shoulders back," Moton said. Moton noted that it may take slouchers
a few months to reverse their hunching habits.
Moton said
that because so many people work in offices today, sitting for long
hours, it's important to learn how to sit properly and to have
furniture that is ergonomically designed to fit the body more
comfortably.
Both Koster and Moton recommend that people use
a lumbar-roll pillow when sitting for long periods. Many people
don't realize that slumping over in a recliner also can place
unnatural pressure on the discs and the hips.
To sit
properly, the middle of the back should remain straight while the
small of the back should have a slight curve.
Posture can be
affected by many factors including weight, a general lack of
conditioning of the back and abdominal muscles and, for women, a
large chest.
Being overweight also can make it more difficult
to stand correctly, exacerbating back pain.
Some studies
indicate that poor posture can exacerbate the "hunch back"
appearance of people who get osteoporosis.
"If we sit slouchy
for all our lives, in the long run, it will come back to haunt you,"
Moton said. "Posture impacts so many parts and functions of the body
and its joints. It will come back to haunt you."
Bernadette
Sedillos Self can be reached at bself@elpasotimes.com;
546-6155.
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