The Importance of Proper Posture | Healthcare Perspectives

Did your parents use to scold you for slouching or otherwise having poor posture? What you might not know is that poor posture can impact your health rather than just looking unappealing to mom and dad. Henry County Hospital’s Chris Burgel, PTA, sat down to talk with Dave Kleck, radio host for WNDH’s Healthcare Perspectives show, to discuss the importance of proper posture. Burgel explains how proper posture can improve overall health as it reduces back and neck pain, aids digestion, improve muscles and joint function, boosts mood, and improves spine health.

Burgel works in Rehabilitation Department as a physical therapist and is a former Colgate University athlete. He helps his patients overcome pain, and any physical limitations, and restore strength, stamina, and endurance. Postural awareness is a big part of what he teaches his patients, especially those who compensate for chronic pain by adopting poor posture habits.

What Is the Difference Between Good vs. Bad Posture?

Good posture is when the body is properly aligned while standing or sitting. By having better posture, you keep your bones and joints in optimal alignment and put the least strain on tension on the supportive structures such as the muscles and ligaments. By contrast, bad posture involves putting undue strain and tension on the body by slouching, leaning, hunching over, or other bad habits.

“Poor posture ultimately causes us to be in poor positions, be it sitting, standing, or otherwise,” Burgle said on the air. “A big thing now is technology when we’re all staring at a computer screen or looking at a phone, so we get hunched over.”

Burgel encourages his patients to examine their posture habits so they can be corrected.

“Take inventory of yourself when you’re sitting at your desk throughout the day or when you’re standing,” he said. “You’ll learn good stretches, then doing the correct strengthening to maintain that good posture. It’s very correctable, it’s just a matter of acknowledging and taking inventory of your [habits] and addressing it accordingly.”

Here are a few quick tips for improving posture while working on a computer:

• Use a lumbar support pillow if you sit at a desk for long hours
• Be aware of the position of your head while looking at a computer screen
• Avoid leaning forward to rest your head on your hand while using a computer.

The good news? These poor posture habits can be corrected through physical therapy and other rehabilitation exercises at Henry County Hospital in Napoleon, Ohio.

To learn more about improving your posture and how it can alleviate your pain with the Henry County Hospital Rehabilitation Physical Therapy , contact the Henry County Hospital Rehabilitation team at 419.591.3818. We accept self-referrals or referrals from your primary care physician.