The human body craves alignment. When we are properly aligned, our bones, not our muscles, support our weight, reducing effort and strain. The big payoff with proper posture is that we feel healthier, have more energy, and move gracefully. So while the word “posture” may conjure up images of book-balancing charm-school girls, it is not just about standing up straight. It’s about being aware of and connected to every part of yourself.

Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting proper rest and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue. Without good posture, you cannot really be physically fit.

Without good posture, you can actually damage your spine every time you exercise. Ideally, our bones stack up one upon the other: the head rests directly on top of the spine, which sits directly over the pelvis, which sits directly over the knees and ankles. But if you spend hours every day sitting in a chair, if you hunch forward or balance your weight primarily on one leg, the muscles of your neck and back have to carry the weight of the body rather than it being supported by the spine. The resulting tension and joint pressure can affect you not only physically, but emotionally, too, — from the predictable shoulder and back pain to headaches, short attention span,
and depression.

Poor posture distorts the alignment of bones, chronically tenses muscles, and contributes to stressful conditions such as loss of vital lung capacity, increased fatigue, reduced blood and oxygen to the brain, limited range of motion, stiffness of joints, pain syndromes, reduced mental alertness, and decreased productivity at work. According to the Nobel Laureate Dr. Roger Sperry, “the more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is
available for thinking, metabolism, and healing.”

The most immediate problem with poor posture is that it creates a lot of chronic muscle tension as the weight of the head and upper body must be supported by the muscles instead of the bones. This effect becomes more pronounced the further your posture deviates from your body’s center of balance.

To illustrate this idea further, think about carrying a briefcase. If you
had to carry a briefcase with your arms outstretched in front of you, it
would not take long before the muscles of your shoulders would be completely exhausted. This is because carrying the briefcase far away from your center of balance places undue stress on your shoulder muscles. If you held the same briefcase down at your side, your muscles would not fatigue as quickly, because the briefcase is closer to your center of balance and therefore the weight is supported by the bones of the skeleton, rather than the muscles.
In some parts of the world, women can carry big pots full of water from distant water sources back to their homes. They are able to carry these heavy pots a long distance without significant effort because they balance them on the top of their heads, thereby carrying them at their center of balance and allowing the strength of their skeleton to bear the weight, rather than their muscles.

Correcting bad posture and the physical problems that result can be accomplished in two ways. The first is by eliminating as much “bad” stress from your body as possible. Bad stress includes all the factors, habits, or stressors that cause your body to deviate from your structural center. Bad stress can result from a poorly adjusted workstation at work, from not having your seat adjusted correctly in your car, or even from carrying too much weight around in a heavy purse or backpack.

The second is by applying “good” stress on the body in an effort to move your posture back toward your center of balance. This is accomplished through a series of exercises, stretches, adjustments, and changes to your physical environment, all designed to help correct your posture. Getting your body back to its center of balance by improving your posture is critically important to improving how you feel.

At Advanced Family Chiropractic, We focus on your postural correction. It usually involves a complete and thorough history, exam and most likely x-rays may be needed or requested. TO see is to know and not to see is to guess !!!!

Feel the healing begin as you walk through our door !

Nerve compromise can result from postural distortions that are easily revealed with a few simple tests. We’ve simplified them so you can conduct them at home with a minimal amount of time, equipment and training. Naturally, they aren’t a substitute for a professional evaluation.

Simply study the pictures, follow the directions and conduct the tests. If the results indicate that you or a loved one is a good candidate for chiropractic care, contact Advanced Family Chiropractic to arrange a thorough examination in our office immediately. Neglected, spinal problems worsen and make correction more difficult and expensive later.

A great place to begin is to notice postural distortions that show up in the head, neck and shoulders:

Anterior Posture
Notice if one shoulder is higher than the other or if the head tilts to one side. Both could be indications of the types of
problems that respond nicely to chiropractic care.

Lateral Posture
A common problem is a forward leaning head. Besides a source of fatigue, this is a common sign of neurological
compromise in the neck, shoulders and into the arms and wrist.

Taking an X-ray Image

Rather than lying down, we want X-ray views showing your body in a weight-bearing position.

Both visible light and X-rays consist of photon particles conveyed over electromagnetic energy. When carefully controlled,
this energy can be used to reveal the internal structure of the body.

We find these pictures quite helpful:

* Provide a structural record of your spine
* Rule out cancer, disease or other pathologies
* Locate fractures or other signs of trauma
* Identify evidence of long term spinal decay
* Confirm other examination findings

Interestingly, X-rays were discovered soon after the first chiropractic adjustment in 1895. Wilhelm Roentgen, a German
physics professor, was experimenting with cathode ray tubes and discovered that an object across the room began to
glow. Much to his surprise, when he placed his hand between the tube and the glowing barium screen, he was able to see
the bones of his hand.

From those crude beginnings over a century ago, both chiropractic and X-ray imaging have come a long way. Today, the chiropractic profession is a leader in the reduction of X-ray exposure and patient safety.


Wilhelm Roentgen won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 for the discovery of the X-ray.

* We take only the most necessary views
* Use the most up to date equipment
* Intensification screens reduce energy used
* Filtration removes unneeded frequencies
* Collimation narrows the energy beam
* Sensitive films shorten exposure time
* Shielding protects sensitive body parts
* Regular equipment inspection and licensing