Good Posture Remedies Joint Pain

 

By taking the time to understand correct posture, what it means to your bone and joint health, and how to achieve it you will reduce your risk of bone and joint problems.

- Dr. David Woods

 

Good Posture = Good Joints

If you were to peel away your skin & peek inside your body you would NOT find cosmic dust & star fairies. At its root, your body is mechanical in nature, especially parts that cause movement.

For the sake of this article, think of your body as a mechanical machine: a system of levers, joints & pulleys. Just like any other mechanical system, all the components are strategically designed to fit and function together in proper alignment.

When you have good posture, all of the components fit and function in the way they were designed. When you have poor posture, the parts are forced to function in a way they weren't designed. This can lead to problems, especially in the major joints (spine, hips, knees, ankles, & shoulders).

A great example to illustrate the effect of poor posture on joints is the hip. The hip contains the two largest joints in the body. Where the top of your leg connects to the hip is a large ball and socket joint. When you have good posture, the ball rotates freely inside the socket with good circulation of synovial fluid, which means plenty of nutrients, oxygen and lubrication for the 360 degree movement of this very large joint. This makes good posture part of your arsenal for joint pain remedies.

Now, when you have poor posture, your head, shoulders and torso will move in front of the hips. This postural imbalance changes the stress on the hip and the large ball and socket joints inside. Because the hips are now tilted, instead of rotating freely, the ball is not centered within the socket and therefore incurs more friction. Friction leads to premature wear & tear. Over time, if the poor posture is not corrected, cartilage can be lost.

For the minimal amount of time necessary to improve your posture, optimizing your joint function should be a strong motivator. Good posture is a proven joint pain remedy.

- Robert Gearhart JR., Co-inventor of the BODY-ALINE