Your Mama Was Right: Posture Matters!

Almost everyone has a memory of their mom (or dad) constantly reminding them to “Stand up straight! You don’t want to grow up with bad posture. Do you?” Or as one of my friends puts it, “Stand up straight and act like somebody!” While most parents dutifully admonish their kids to stand tall, they may not realize just how important that advice really is. There are many reasons why good posture matters, including self-esteem, career performance, even significant health considerations.

Let’s talk about how your posture affects several aspects of your life. At the end of the article, we’ll offer some tips on how you can start today to improve your posture and your life.

How you approach the world has a tremendous impact on how you feel about yourself. What’s the first impression you have of someone with slumped shoulders or their head drooping down? Honestly, that person is giving the impression that they’re beaten, sad or hopeless.

Life can be tough. Things happen to everyone that can hurt in so many ways. One way to respond to life’s calamities is to withdraw and become inward. When this happens and a person’s confidence is shaken they look defensive and passive. A slumped posture is almost like curling up in a fetal position while standing, hoping that no one will bother you. Unfortunately, most folks won’t bother with you in that posture.

On the other hand, good posture with your head up and shoulders back is a strong indicator of inner strength and self-confidence. A strong, self-confident person tells the world “Here I come. Give me all you’ve got!” When you stand tall, you tell yourself “I can! I will! I must!” From the standpoint of building and maintaining a strong self-image, one of the most important habits a parent can teach their child is to stand tall, keep your head up and your shoulders back. It will help that child withstand many of life’s challenges throughout his/her life.

There are many ways that an employer, customer or potential client will decide how you fit into their plans. One of the most important, yet subtle, ways others evaluate you is your body language. Let’s say you’re competing for a promotion to a management position with an equally qualified competitor. If the only difference between the two candidates is that one has poor posture and the other looks like a Marine, who wins? The Marine always wins. Every employer wants managers that are confident and show confidence in every way. And in some ways, poor posture communicates the same message as when someone won’t make eye contact. People wonder if you have something to hide. Good posture is like a good handshake. People make judgments about you based on their first impression. Make a good first impression. Stand tall. Head up. Shoulders back. Stomach in. It will pay you great dividends. Posture affects your health in several ways. From a purely mechanical standpoint, if things aren’t lined up the way they were designed, they simply wear out faster. People with arthritis in the joints or spine in their forties and fifties have generally had posture problems their whole life. Any good mechanic will tell you that poor wheel alignment will eventually cause all kinds of structural and mechanical problems with your car. It’s the same with your body. Structure affects function.

As a chiropractor, I see sick and hurting people all the time. One thing they all seem to share is some sort of posture problem. Sometimes, they come to me with pains in the neck and shoulders from driving or sitting at the computer for long hours at a time. Or, maybe a hip, leg or low back problem caused by sitting on a too thick wallet. Probably the most subtle, yet more important, effects of poor posture are neurological problems that can result. Often, people come in with strange problems from migraine headaches to high blood pressure corrected after adjustments to the upper neck. Everyone knows the plight of Christopher Reeves, the former star of the Superman movies. He was thrown from his horse and broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The actor was not only paralyzed from the neck down, but also unable to have normal bodily functions without the aid of machines until his eventual death. Postural problems can indicate similar, yet much more subtle spinal misalignments and neurological problems.

Many people have postural problems that may have resulted at birth that only become apparent later in life. Others may have had other trauma caused by injuries from sports, fall or auto accidents. Unless corrected, these problems only get worse with eventual health implications. Because these subtle misalignments and the posture problems they cause don’t involve broken bones, they’re generally not identified with medical diagnoses. For the most part, only chiropractors are trained to identify, locate and correct these misalignments.

So if you find yourself slumping and slouching, do something about it. Practice standing up straight with your head held high and eyes looking forward, not down toward the ground. Pull your shoulders back while tightening your stomach muscles and tucking your butt in. If you find that your posture problem is hard to correct and might also be related to other health problems, find a wellness-oriented chiropractor or e-mail me and I’ll help you find one in your area.

Stand up straight and tall. Let the world know you’re strong, confident and healthy!

Sears

I noticed on the business news this morning that Sears profits are down 99% from this same time last year. While it's been along time since I enjoyed shopping at Sears, I WILL spend some money there this year...and maybe from now on.

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

In my mind, Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Pass it on.

Thanksgiving

In all things, Give Thanks!

We have no control over what happens to us in life and business. WeDO, however, have control over our response. One of the major laws ofphysics says that for every action there's an opposite and equalaction. See the possibilities before you and KNOW that there is somegood that CAN come from every event in your life. As quaint and triteas it may seem, the saying still holds "You can't have the flowers without the rain".

Embrace your life and all the goodness before you. You NEVER know what possibilities await you!

Dr. Tim

Conventional Wisdom – Is It Really Wisdom or Just Lazy Thinking?

Many of us rely on conventional wisdom to help guide us through routine decision-making processes. But, does conventional wisdom really serve us that well? Or does it actually keep us from making the best decisions possible? While common knowledge can be helpful in certain situations, it keeps us from making progress in almost every aspect of our lives, as well as that of our society and the worldwide community.

By now, we’re all too familiar with the example of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Western World. Conventional wisdom of the day was that the Earth was flat and if you sailed far enough you would simply fall off the end of the Earth. Having little more than intuition and faith, Columbus defied conventional wisdom and set out on his voyage of discovery. Of course, the rest is history.

One of the areas most affected by conventional wisdom is in the area of health and wellness. For centuries, Western cultures have favored scientific advances in the fight against death and disease. Obviously, advances have been made that improved the plight of mankind. Discovery of the causes of many diseases have led to improvements in sanitation and drinking water supplies. Unfortunately, these advances have received little credit for the virtual elimination of such diseases as polio and tuberculosis (in developed countries) while mass vaccination programs have received almost all of the credit. Conventional wisdom says that vaccination prevents disease. In depth analysis might point to many differing perspectives.

Another bit of conventional wisdom is that animal protein is unhealthy for humans. It’s supposed to increase cholesterol and cause cardiovascular disease. Just this week, though, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study that counters that conventional wisdom. For years, Dr. Robert Atkins, developer of the high protein, low carbohydrate weight-loss program named after him was called a quack, huckster and charlatan by mainstream medicine. The JAMA study showed that the high-protein Atkins diet was more effective at helping participants lose weight than other mainstream programs, like The Zone diet and the Ornish diet. Even more amazing is that with the unconventional high-protein, high-fat Atkins diet participants not only lowered blood pressure, they reduced LDL, or bad, cholesterol and increased HDL, or good, cholesterol. Maybe Dr. Atkins’ critics will now let him rest in peace.

Conventional wisdom also tells us “germs cause disease”. Fortunately, the theory that germs alone cause disease is about as silly a notion as the one that Columbus had to overcome. Unfortunately, the Germ Theory (misapplied) has done much to set up Western civilization for potentially huge public health problems in the near future. Let’s take a closer look. If germs really caused disease then why doesn’t everyone in a household get a cold or the flu at the same time? Or, why do just some people at work get the flu and not everyone? In its haste to eliminate disease by killing germs, modern Medicine has abandoned the real precepts of the Germ Theory that tell us it’s the strength of the germ (or pathogen), the amount of exposure and the strength (or weakness) of the host (you and me) that determines if one will actually develop a disease or condition when exposed. The main reason that some get sick and some don’t is the strength of our immune system and it’s ability to isolate and kill those germs. Many believe that conventional wisdom regarding the war against disease is that it has caused potential problems with over-vaccinating children and abuse of antibiotics among a host of other problems. It has also created a situation that actually invites a pandemic catastrophe.
There are many sets of conventional wisdom that bear scrutiny, including global warming, mandatory vaccination programs and the net benefit of mandatory public education. Of course, the list is limited only by your own observation.

So, how can we keep from becoming a victim of conventional wisdom as both individuals and as a society? First, realize that “common knowledge” is just that. It’s common, accepted by all without little thought or analysis, the lowest common denominator and far from the final answer. “Conventional wisdom” is more consensus than wisdom. It stifles thought and fosters ignorance among the masses. Second, force yourself to ask “Is this true or does it just seem true because so many people accept it?” Finally, let principles guide you rather than the mere assertions of others.

Here are some principles that will never let you down.

• The human body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism. It doesn’t as much need help as it just needs less interference.
• If drugs worked, rich people wouldn’t die.
• Individual freedom is superior to group identification.
• Morality, self-restraint and personal responsibility are more effective than regulation.
• If something can be imagined, it can be done.
• The human mind contains all the knowledge of the Universe. Don’t allow your thinking to be limited by common knowledge or conventional wisdom.
• The Earth has been here a long time. It can correct anything Mankind can do to it.
• The wisdom of Nature is greater than the sum of all Mankind’s knowledge now and forever.
• Mother Nature always wins in the long run. Work with it not on it or against it.

Just know that principles win out over knowledge every time. Live your life in accord with solid principles. Don’t be a victim of common knowledge or conventional wisdom. Think for yourself. Be all that God designed you to be.

Weak Muscles - Weak Joints

As a chiropractor, I see people from all walks of life for a variety of reasons. Some are wellness clients that get checked on a routine basis to build and maintain an active and vibrant lifestyle. These clients generally bring their whole family and do so to get off (or stay off) the medication merry-go-round. Others come to avoid a problem that had been corrected that they just don’t want to have to deal with again. Still others come in to correct a problem for which painkillers just don’t cover up any more.It’s that last group I want to talk about today. Sometimes the problem might be in their arm or shoulder, sometimes the knee, and sometimes in different parts of the spine or hips. While my focus as a chiropractor is on the nerves and spinal cord by way of the spine, problems with the spine can cause other problems in other parts of the body.

Let’s talk about those joints, though. Our bodies were designed for movement. And body movement involves three components; nerves, muscles and bones. Muscles move bones after getting signals from the nervous system. Joints, or hinges, make movement more efficient and more effective. I think everyone would agree that the moving parts in any machine (especially the human machine) are generally the first parts to wear out.

The tendency is to blame joint problems on aging. Well, that’s just too easy a copout. If it were as easy as that, every senior citizen would have bad joints. Granted, many seasoned citizens do have joint problems, not all. But aging alone is not really the problem. Besides, there’s nothing we can do about getting older. BUT, there is plenty that can be done about HOW we get older.

Since “structure affects function”, we should look at the other aspects of body movement and joint stress. One component of joint stress is body imbalance. We’ll spend more time on this component in the near future. But, just know that if you look in the mirror and notice that one shoulder or one hip is higher than the other or your head tilts in one direction, you are predisposed to structural problems that will affect you down the road.

The power to move is generated from the muscles. The stronger and more flexible your muscles, the less stress there is on your joints. If your muscles are weak, the joint bears all of your body weight and all the stress of movement. Oh yeah, and folks who don’t maintain a good level of muscle tone are usually somewhat overweight, putting even more stress on their joints.

So, what’s the answer? Well, there are a couple depending on your perspective. If you’re one of those passive individuals who beleive that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, then just wait until your knees, elbows, wrist, back or hip wears out and hope that drugs or surgery will “fix it”. If that’s you, I wish you good luck. You’ll need it. On the other hand, if you want to make sure your joints last longer and work better, there are a few things you can do.

First, make sure you drink plenty of water on a regular basis. This helps keep the joints from drying out. Second, start a regular conditioning program. If you’re not exercising already, start slowly. But start! And don’t just focus on just those parts you want to look firmer. Firm it ALL up! That will help you lose unwanted fat quicker and strengthen all your joints. Walking is great and can be done almost anywhere. Just use your whole body when you do. When you get stronger, start doing some resistance exercises to get even stronger.

Finally, if you notice any posture distortions or other problems, find a good wellness chiropractor. Remember, structure affects function. And, how your body functions affects every aspect of your life. Life is motion. Get moving!