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There is no doubt that good posture is much better than slouching or with shoulders in a slumping position. Poor posture can have many negative effects on your health. However, you may not realize that poor posture is not only bad, but it can also have detrimental effects on your overall health.
Bad posture can put more stress on certain muscles and joints, forcing them to work too much and tire easily. Many patients with chronic pain can be helped by correcting their bad posture. In this article, we will be talking about poor sitting posture effects on the body.
Although back and neck problems top the list of possible posture problems, there are many others, such as lack of balance, headache and difficulty breathing. The effects of poor sitting posture cuts across all these posture problems. Let us quickly look at these poor sitting posture effects on our bodies.
Poor Sitting Posture Effects
If you find that you slouch often, here are some negative effects of poor posture that will help motivate you to keep a straight posture!
1. Poor digestion
If you work in the office, you know it is quite easy to let your neck and shoulders slouch over your chest and stomach. However, it is essential that you do your best to keep your back straight. Slouching while sitting compresses the abdominal organs, including the digestive tract.
Furthermore, bad posture is particularly harmful to the body after eating. This posture can trigger heartburn and acid reflux. The pressure on the stomach due to poor posture is not healthy, but it is particularly unhealthy while the stomach is trying to digest food. Digestion can be slowed down and slowed down with poor posture. Poor digestion can lead to other bodily problems, such as stool problems and heart problems. Over time, it can really affect your metabolism and your ability to process food properly.
2. Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain
The most common negative effect of poor posture is pain. This pain is also the most noticeable side effect. Bad posture can cause back, neck and shoulder pain. Bad posture causes you to slouch, which causes tension and pain in the upper back and shoulders. Back pain is the most common type of pain associated with poor posture, followed by the neck and shoulders. You may even have wrist pain if you have a bad posture! This can cause the rotator cuff tendons to press the coracoacromial arch of your shoulder, which causes pain when you move or lie on the side of the affected shoulder.
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Poor posture can also lead to shortening and contraction of the lumbar muscles, which can contribute to unhealthy tightness and lower back pain. Back pain can also be caused by a “military posture,” in which someone tries to stand or sit straight, lifting their chest and forcing their back muscles to work too much. Usually, this person would suffer persistent and painful pain and burn in the upper back muscles. It also contributes to low back pain, as pushing the chest will cause excessive extension of the lower back.
These negative effects are not only immediate but can also gradually lead to spinal misalignment and joint pain. To combat this pain, encourage your patients to lift their heads. Usually, people read the neck forward, which puts excessive pressure on the neck.
The pain you feel in these areas of your body can be as a result of the effects of poor sitting posture. However, you also do not want to “overcorrect” your posture by pulling your shoulders back too much, as this could cause muscle tension and stiffness.
3. Poor circulation
Bad posture can lead to poor circulation in the body. This is especially true when bad posture is combined with a prolonged sitting position. When you sit down slouching and prevent blood from circulating in your body correctly, it can affect your health. In other words, by sitting in a bad posture all day, it prevents your body from getting the necessary circulation. People should remain active while sitting, especially while working. Make gradual postural changes during the day, get up, stretch and sit with their shoulders back. If you slouch over a desk, you will have poor circulation and may even develop varicose veins. Women are more at risk of varicose veins.
4. Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
When poor posture causes changes in the alignment of the spine, it can also cause constriction of blood vessels, which in turn affects the supply of nutrients and oxygen and can cause blood clots and deep vein thrombosis. All of these side effects can significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases if you do not treat the misalignment.
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5. Respiratory Efficiency
Poor posture can affect the amount of air you take in the lungs when breathing. Slouching all the time can negatively influence lung function.
To breathe properly, your diaphragm must have enough space in the thoracic cavity to release and contract properly with each breath. Your ability to breathe optimally improves when your body is elongated and well-aligned. One of the effects of poor sitting posture is the misalignment of the spine. This can compromise your ability to breathe well. Also, it could cause shortness of breath, poor cognitive function and even heart and vascular diseases.
The quality of breathing is important because the body needs oxygen to restore and rejuvenate the cells. Full and deep breaths help promote a healthy brain, heart, and other vital organs.
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6. Sexual Function
Poor sitting posture can have effects on your sexual function. Sloppy sitting can have profound effects on the sexual function of men and women because this posture shortens and tightens the pelvic floor muscles, which are our main sexual muscles. When the pelvic floor muscles become tight and weak, they cannot exert their power and strength.
Weak pelvic floor muscles can affect the sexual function of men and women in different ways. For example, men whose pelvic floor is shortened and tightened due to poor sitting posture may have less resistance and experience weak ejaculation. Research has suggested that women with pelvic floor problems may experience reduced sexual arousal and infrequent orgasms.
Conclusion
Although correcting poor sitting posture or treating the effects of bad posture can become more difficult with age, it is never too late to seek treatment.
To know the best sitting positions to maintain good posture and counter the effects of poor sitting posture, read our article on sitting positions for good posture.
Remember to visit your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment of any severe and reoccurring pain.
