How your Posture may be Causing your Muscle Pain and Tightness

Have you ever experienced muscle pain or tightness that never seems to go away completely? Do therapies like heat, stretching, and massage provide only temporary relief? If so, the cause of your muscle symptoms is likely not being addressed. For many, your problems could be coming from your posture.  

Postural issues can create muscle lengthening and tension leading to pain and tightness. Let’s use two of the most common head and neck postural issues to help explain how this can happen.  

1. Forward Head Posture

When the head comes forward, the muscles that attach from the base of the skull to the upper back and shoulder are lengthened. This oftentimes creates pain or tightness in the back of the neck, shoulders, or upper back. To assess whether or not you may have a forward head posture, have a loved one look at your relaxed posture from the side. The opening of your ear should be positioned directly over the middle of your shoulder. If the opening of your ear is positioned in front of the middle of your shoulder this could indicate forward head posture.  

2. Left or Right Head Shifting

When your head shifts away from the midline to either the left or right side, the muscles on the side opposite of the head shift are lengthened. This often creates pain or tightness on the lengthened side. This could be the reason why some individuals have one side that is always tighter or more painful than the other side. To assess whether or not you may have a head-shifting posture, have a loved one look at your relaxed posture from the front or look at yourself in the mirror. Your head should be perfectly centered over your shoulder girdle. If your chin is not lined up over the sternum or if one of your shoulders is lower than the other, this could indicate the presence of a head-shifting posture. 

How to Fix your Posture

Postural issues can be quite complex and should be assessed and treated by a professional. The first step toward improving your posture will be finding a doctor certified in CBP (Chiropractic Biophysics) analysis and corrective methods. These doctors will use the latest methods of biomechanical analysis to measure and assess the severity of your posture and spinal alignment. If your posture is found to play a role in your muscle pain or tightness, CBP-certified doctors will review the evidence-based methods that can be used to help manage and possibly correct your imbalances. 

Here at Modern Chiropractic Center, we have the staff and doctors you need to help you find the solution to your muscle tightness or pain that you have been looking for. Please give our office a call at 208-314-1357 (Boise location) or 208-205-9934 (Nampa location) to get scheduled for a free consultation and exam to determine whether or not we will be able to help fix your postural issues.