You may be dealing with poor posture if you’ve ever experienced neck, back or shoulder pain from just sitting. It’s fairly common to experience poor posture, which can show up in people of all ages. It can develop in childhood or adolescence and develop with age or develop as a result of an injury or lifestyle.
Poor posture can make menial tasks like sitting, standing and walking feel uncomfortable. It can even lead to larger problems down the road, such as poor gait and walking patterns. Are you dealing with poor posture and need help correcting it? Physical therapy can help. You can learn more below about the benefits of PT for posture and some common exercises used during PT to correct posture.
What are the benefits of physical therapy exercises for posture?
Physical therapy is an effective treatment method for someone with bad posture. It can be used to gently improve the condition of your back, shoulders and neck without causing unnecessary pain. Look through some of the most commonly experienced benefits of doing physical therapy exercises to improve poor posture:
- It can reduce pain from poor posture — One of the main benefits of doing physical therapy exercises for posture is that it can reduce any pain or discomfort you may have. A physical therapist can create a specially designed treatment plan with exercises that reduce inflammation and pain related to poor posture. And if your posture problems have resulted in a pinched nerve, they can show you movements to help with the pain.
- It can improve your walking habits — Another significant benefit of doing physical therapy exercises for posture is that it can improve your walking habits. Poor posture can often cause problems with walking habits and negatively affect your gait. A therapist can use exercise to retrain your posture and walking patterns simultaneously.
- It can improve any related conditions — Another benefit of physical therapy is that it can be used to improve any conditions that may be related to your poor posture. For example, if you’re experiencing a pinched nerve somewhere in your back because of your posture, PT exercises that improve your posture can have positive effects on your pinched nerve.
- It can improve your physical condition — PT exercises for posture also have the capability to improve your overall physical condition. They can improve aspects including strength, flexibility and range of motion so that you can live more comfortably.
What are 3 posture exercises that can be used during physical therapy?
For a better idea of some of the posture exercises that your physical therapist may ask you to perform, read below:
- Foam rolling — A common type of exercise that physical therapists have their patients with posture issues perform is foam rolling exercises. Foam rolling the back and shoulders can be helpful for breaking up muscle tension and relaxing muscle knots that may contribute to poor posture. It can also serve to lengthen the muscles by stretching them out.
- Hip stretching — Another type of exercise that can be used to correct poor posture is hip stretching. The lower back is connected to the hips, and using stretches to open up the muscles in that area can improve the condition of your back.
- Door frame stretching — Door frame stretching is another type of exercise that can be used to improve posture. To perform a door stretch, your physical therapist will ask you to rest your arms on each side of a door frame and push your body forward so that you can feel a stretch in your shoulders. These stretches can loosen up tight muscles that may build up over time with poor posture.
Alliance PTP can help you find expert physical therapy near you to improve your posture
You probably don’t have to go as far as you think to get help with your posture. After all, Alliance Physical Therapy Partners has practices across the country where you can find the physical therapy you need.
And if there isn’t one near you, don’t worry! We also offer highly effective and affordable virtual care in nearly every U.S. state.
Better posture can enhance your day-to-day life and also help prevent future problems from developing as a result of poor posture. Get in touch with our team today so we can help you find the physical therapy that’s right for you.
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