What role can massage play in correcting or managing posture?

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Friday, 07 September 2018

Good posture can be described as the body’s ability to sit, walk, stand or lie in a position that places a minimal strain on supporting, muscles, ligaments and joints during movement or activities. When poor posture is prevalent you may see a head being tilted forward, a chest depressed, round shoulders, a slouched back curve or the pelvis swaying forward. Whether poor posture is generic or activity and lifestyle caused, massage in Fulham can play a positive role in relieving, managing or correcting bad posture.

Negative effects of poor posture on a body

If the structure of your body is off balance, it is at war with gravity. Good posture is seen when the head and shoulders are balanced over the pelvis and stacked above the hips, knees and ankles in alignment. Gravity flows at ease through an aligned structure. A forward-tilting head or exaggerated spinal curve causes gravity to lever the natural weight of your body against you. This can cause strain, grind and pressure on the joints, organs and muscles of the body. Many people perceive these effects as constant fatigue, back pain, an unflattering contour of their body or even as old age.

Massage for correcting poor posture

Postural defects caused by poor sitting habits, stress, unsupportive shoes, being overweight or being physically inactive can be positively influenced by massage in London. It is easy to create positive structural change in someone suffering from round shoulders or stiff hips. Massage can lengthen the chest and anterior shoulder muscles to allow the shoulder joint to sit in better alignment with the structures surrounding it – usually resulting in the associated neck and shoulder pain symptom disappearing.

Massage for managing postural issues

Where a person has a strong degree of spinal curvature in the form of scoliosis, kyphosis or lordosis which has developed over decades or is congenital, it may not be as simple to correct the curvature. We have seen cases where spinal curvature can re-align by applying massage techniques with structural integration skills. However, for many people preventing spinal curvature from deteriorating is more achievable using a deep tissue and sports massage by creating space between the bony structures. The benefits of searching for massage near you to manage or improve postural defects is that body function performs better in visceral organs, joints and the circulatory system. Many clients find that they can live without pain or at least manage it by choosing massage at the right regularity to keep their posture in check.  

Understanding what influences your posture

If you find that you are regularly scheduling a shoulder massage to combat pain caused by postural kyphosis or round shoulders, consider discussing the possible causes with your massage therapist in Fulham. Modifying your sitting, standing, driving and sleeping posture can have a compound effect in complimenting your massage treatments. Keeping fit and not carrying excess body weight will reduce the degeneration of joints affected by bad posture. Learning proper movement by attending a safe lifting course, Pilates or Alexander technique can teach you and your musculature to adopt healthier postural patterns. If you are like most London people and find yourself time poor, you can always utilise massage as a method of maintaining a healthy posture.

If you feel that you could benefit from massage as a helping hand in boosting your posture, please call us on 0203 7949760 and we would be delighted to help.

Fran Kehoe, Fulham Massage & Wellness