Hey guys, Dr. Brian here with Beyond Bones and a few simple ways that you can check to see how your posture is off and what may be causing it.
Checking Your Posture with The Wall Test
The first one is really simple, it’s called the wall test and all you’ll need is a wall. So lean your butt, your upper back and your head so that they’re pressing against the wall, let your heels be about six inches off of the wall forward from where your butt is, stand in that position, head, upper back and butt against the wall heels shifted slightly forward and then slide your hand behind into the space where your low back is, you should be able to slide your hand into that gap between your low back and the wall. That means you have a good healthy curve there, there should be the right amount of space, not too much and not too little. So there should be about two inches between the wall and your low back, you be able to feel that with your hand. If there’s more than that there’s a problem. If there’s less a problem as well, you can do something similar up here at your neck, slide your fingers between your neck and the wall. And you should feel there two to four inches, something like that, that indicates that the curves of your spine are healthy in those areas or probably healthy, healthier than they could be.
Using The Mirror Test to Check Your Posture
The second is called the mirror test. For that one, all you’ll need is a full length mirror. If you’ve got it, you can do it with a smaller one if that’s what you’ve got. But standing with your feet under your shoulders, your toes pointing roughly forward and standing in a relaxed position facing the mirror. not leaning against a wall this time, you should check and see is your head straight are your shoulders level is your ribcage twisted in any way is the spacing between your arms and your sides roughly equal on each side are your hips level, or your knees even or as one pointing outward or inward. Anything that’s off in terms of those aspects of your posture indicates a sign that you may need some help.
Using the Trapezius Finger Press Test for Muscle Tightness
The last one is really simple as well. It’s a basic test with the tips of your fingers pressed into your trapezius muscles and the muscles of your neck. If there’s pain in any of those areas, and you haven’t worked out excessively recently and you’re sore if there’s pain that indicates that those muscles are contracted, they’re tight, they’re working too hard, which is a sign of postural problems. So press into the trapezius muscles, press into the muscles of your chest, particularly your upper chest and just see any tightness there it could indicate that your shoulders are rounded forward, your head may be further forward than it should be. And all of that as a sign that your your spine may be off which is causing those postural problems to be present. And you may need to come in have a have yourself adjusted and get that corrected as soon as possible to avoid some of the damage the problems that subluxation or spinal misalignments may cause.