Posture damage

Entered Posture damage are usually irreversible. Various measures can often help to prevent bad posture.

What is bad posture?

The symptoms of poor posture usually only show up when they have led to noticeable complaints. These include back pain, knee pain and muscle tension.
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Postural defects are bony changes in the human body that can develop from long-term poor posture. The spine is particularly often affected by poor posture. This damage to the spine is often associated with back pain. Corresponding postural damage can manifest itself in the form of a hollow back, scoliosis or a hunched back:

With the hollow back, the spine shows an increased inward curvature on the lower back. In medicine, scoliosis is when the spine is curved to the side. Scoliosis can be recognized, for example, by a laterally shifted course of the vertebrae.

If there is a hunched back as a form of postural damage, the affected person shows a strong curvature of the spine in the chest area. Such a hunched back leads to a forward tilt of the shoulders and head. If a hollow back and a rounded back occur in combination, this is also known as a hollow back.

causes

Posture damage can be caused by various factors. The most common causes of postural damage include long-term poor posture, which can be caused, for example, by frequent and incorrect sitting or by heavy physical work.

Frequent carrying of bags / backpacks that are too heavy, being overweight and unsuitable shoes or mattresses can cause postural problems in the long term. Damage to posture is also favored by a lack of physical exercise and weak back or abdominal muscles; as a result, the muscles cannot adequately support the spine.

Various diseases, injuries or congenital bone malformations can also lead to postural damage - a pelvic inclination due to different leg lengths, for example, causes the spine to curve to compensate for it. Last but not least, long-term emotional stress can also be expressed in poor posture and the resulting postural damage.

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Symptoms, ailments & signs

The symptoms of poor posture usually only show up when they have led to noticeable complaints. These include back pain, knee pain and muscle tension. But there are also pain in other areas, such as the shoulders or hips. This is mostly due to a long-standing, bad attitude.

Postural defects usually develop without symptoms at the beginning and only manifest themselves after years with them. Often those affected do not even notice that they are putting an unfavorable strain on their body for a long time. If the spine is incorrectly loaded over a longer period of time, a diagnosable spinal curvature occurs.

If it curves on one side, it is referred to as scoliosis. This can also be innate and lead to the symptoms mentioned. In old age, scoliosis can also affect the lungs and heart because the curvature also affects the chest. The signs of wear and tear on the spine, which occur as a result of one-sided loading, also lead to chronic muscle tension and corresponding pain.

Signs that can sometimes be identified in childhood and adolescence include a noticeable rotation of the hip bones and a C-shape of the spine in a lateral position. Here, too, the signs are more likely to be recognized during preventive medical examinations than by those affected themselves.

Diagnosis & course

Bad posture is often only diagnosed when the first pain occurs. Damage to the posture of the spine can, for example, be indicated by dull or pulling back pain, which occasionally also radiates into the legs.

Various postural defects can be diagnosed by the orthopedic surgeon during an initial physical examination; To this end, a doctor looks at and / or touches the affected area of ​​the body. If postural damage is difficult to detect from the outside or if it has to be examined in detail, x-rays, for example, can contribute to a diagnosis; bony structures are shown here.

Damage to posture is usually irreversible; once they have occurred, they do not regress and cannot be remedied by medical measures. However, symptoms and further progression of postural damage can be positively influenced therapeutically.

Complications

In most cases, bad posture cannot be treated or removed. They are irreversible and the person concerned has to live with this damage for their entire life. In most cases, however, the damage can be alleviated with the help of therapies. The poor posture continues to cause pain. These occur primarily on the patient's back and neck.

It is not uncommon for the pain to spread to other regions of the body. If the pain occurs in the form of resting pain, it can also lead to discomfort at night and thus to sleep problems. Due to the bad posture, many patients also suffer from depression and decreased resilience. It is not uncommon for a gentle posture to be adopted, but this also has a negative effect on the patient's health.

The quality of life decreases significantly as a result of this damage. No causal treatment of damage to posture is possible. However, the person affected must ensure a healthy posture and usually take part in various therapies. This can alleviate pain and restricted mobility. Surgical interventions are usually not required. The posture damage itself does not lead to a reduced life expectancy.

When should you go to the doctor?

Posture damage should always be examined by a doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent or completely reduce further complications and symptoms in adulthood. The earlier the posture damage is discovered, the higher the probability of a positive course of the disease.

As a rule, a doctor should be consulted if the person concerned or outside persons notices an unusual posture or if pain occurs. The person concerned adopts a relieving posture or poor posture that prevails over a longer period of time. An unusual shape of the spine can also indicate bad posture and should also be examined.

In many cases, the postural damage is accompanied by severe pain. The diagnosis of this disease can be made by an orthopedic surgeon, general practitioner, or pediatrician. For further treatment, however, the patients are dependent on various exercises or therapies. Surgical interventions may also be necessary. Since the posture damage can also lead to psychological complaints in some cases, a psychologist should be consulted. Often, most postural defects can be treated well and reduced.

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Treatment & Therapy

The treatment of postural problems depends, among other things, on the causes and is individually tailored to the patient. For example, if postural damage is caused by a disease, treatment of the underlying disease is one of the most important therapeutic steps.

The diseases that can cause postural damage include growth disorders such as Scheuermann's disease or autoimmune diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis (this can lead to increasing ossification of the spine in the course of this). Early and consistent treatment of the underlying diseases can help to alleviate the course of postural damage.

Depending on the cause of the posture damage, general medical measures include physiotherapy and muscle training. Stretching exercises can help to loosen up tense areas of the body that cause postural damage. In addition, those affected are usually advised to avoid any previous bad posture as far as possible in everyday life (be it by sitting properly or carrying and / or purchasing suitable furniture). If there is severe pain associated with poor posture, pain reliever medication is sometimes prescribed.

It is comparatively seldom that serious postural problems can be counteracted by measures such as supporting corsets. In some cases, surgical interventions can be medically necessary / useful.

Outlook & forecast

The prognosis of bad posture is unfavorable. If postural damage has already developed from bad posture, these are considered irreversible. The same applies to people who have acquired poor posture due to a genetic disposition during the growth process. A regression of the changes in the skeletal system through training or other therapies is not to be expected.

The damage is permanent and lasts until the end of life. The patient can undergo surgery in some cases. This is intended to improve the current situation and alleviate symptoms. However, despite all efforts, complete freedom from symptoms can only be expected very rarely or not at all.

Treatment is about minimizing existing symptoms and preventing the development of further symptoms. In the case of postural damage, the patient can usually only achieve a small improvement in his health through the use of alternative healing methods or natural healing methods. With the techniques of naturopathy, the primary aim is to alleviate the existing symptoms.

Without treatment, muscle discomfort, discomfort and pain will all increase over the course of life. Therefore, medical treatment with a comprehensive training and care plan is important despite the poor healing prospects in the case of postural damage.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for back pain

prevention

Posture damage can be prevented above all by avoiding bad posture at an early stage; If you sit frequently, for example, a regular change of position is recommended. Factors such as lifting heavy loads from the legs (not from the back), regular exercise, strengthening the muscles and avoiding / combating obesity also contribute to avoiding postural damage.

Aftercare

In general, it cannot be predicted whether there will be follow-up care measures for postural defects. The further measures depend very much on the exact type and also on the extent of this damage, so that no general prediction can be made about these possibilities. First and foremost, however, the postural damage must be properly treated by a doctor so that there are no further complications and no further worsening of the symptoms.

The earlier this damage is detected, the better the further course. However, since not all postural damage can be treated, the affected person does not always have follow-up measures available. First and foremost, the behavior that led to this damage must be corrected. Certain postures of the body must not be taken over again in order to alleviate the symptoms.

Furthermore, the measures of physiotherapy or physiotherapy are often necessary to alleviate these complaints. Many of the exercises from such a therapy can also be performed in your own home, which can accelerate healing. Pain is usually relieved with the help of pain killers. It should be noted that pain relievers should not be taken over a long period of time.

You can do that yourself

Those affected can do a lot in everyday life to alleviate symptoms from postural problems independently and with little effort. You need good self-reflection and attention to your own posture.

As soon as the upper body is strongly curved while sitting, an upright sitting position can be assumed. Your shoulders should be straight and your head should be kept in a vertical position. It is helpful to consciously change and vary your posture at regular intervals. The distances between the table and seating are also to be set according to the optimal needs.

Regular muscle training is also helpful to stabilize and adequately support the skeletal system. With a balanced movement of all body parts and joints, postural damage can be avoided or corrected. Wearing healthy footwear and avoiding the use of high-heeled shoes also prevents damage.

In the case of muscle tension, targeted training units help to loosen them up and reduce postural damage. Regular exercise of sports that target all muscles equally is highly recommended. This includes swimming in particular.

When moving, make sure that the body is kept straight and upright if possible. Curvatures or one-sided physical stress should be avoided. Avoiding overweight or obesity is also helpful.

In the case of chronic complaints, physiotherapy and physiotherapy can help.