Sunday, December 22, 2013

Improving Your Posture is More Than Sitting Up Straight

MS can contribute to poor posture in a number of ways. Muscle weakness or imbalance of muscles in the torso, especially weakness in core body muscles in your back and stomach, can lead to poor posture. When these muscles are weak, it is more difficult to keep your back and pelvis in proper alignment, which may lead to slouching and/or leaning backwards to compensate for the weakness.  Improper spinal alignment can cause neck and back strain as smaller muscles must work against gravity to hold the body upright.

Patients who experience weakness in the lower extremities may find standing for extended periods of time difficult, and may also begin to slouch or lean to compensate.  Patients who have difficulty walking due to foot drop or weakness in leg or hip muscles may experience poor posture because their muscular imbalance causes them to overcompensate by walking with an exaggerated gait.  Each of these circumstances may increase fatigue which itself can contribute to poor posture. It can become a vicious cycle.

Read this post in its entirety:

Living with MS: How to Improve Your Posture

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