Posture Therapy

Poor posture is very common in adults. There are a variety of ways and many different causes of poor posture. Hunching the shoulders too far forward, a common postural problem, can induce a kyphotic effect. Other times we see the stomach area is too far forward, which makes the buttocks area stick out (lordotic). Some pain sufferers have a flat posture, which means that they don’t have normal curvature in their back. Poor posture can lead to complications if left unaddressed including chronic pain, muscle stiffness, and inflexibility. Regular massage can help.

How Does Massage Improve Posture?

There are a number of different types of massage that we use to address posture issues including deep tissue massage, sports massage, and Swedish massage. By applying pressure to areas containing soft tissues, muscles can be loosened and relaxed, relieving pressure, stimulating blood flow, improving elasticity, and giving joints increased freedom of motion. This helps with chronic pain and can also improves mobility. True Balance Massage also helps coach patients on postural alignment as part of our integrated approach to get your body back in proper alignment. Improving range of motion and mobility will help reduce tightness and restrictions, allowing your body to return to its normal state.

The techniques we most commonly use to improve posture include mobilisations, deep pressure massage, and myofascial release. We use deep strokes on the areas containing soft tissues, which involves applying deep pressure while the fingers and hand are flat. This increases the temperature, which results in reduced muscle tightness, improved tissue elasticity, and greater flexibility. Tightness in muscles is one of the most frequent causes of poor posture. By minimizing muscle tightness, proper posture is able to be restored. This allows for decreased pain and can assist in preventing poor posture from recurring.  

We use moilizations along the patient’s spine to manipulate beyond the regular range of movement. Stiffness near the spinal area causes a hunched-over effect, moving the shoulders forward and tilting the head back. The most common cause of this condition is improper posture at work, especially at desk jobs. This can cause increased pain and other complications if left untreated. Mobilisations improve the range of joint movement in the spine by pulling and pushing the joints away from each other. Mobilisations can be very therapeutic as they relieve tension and stress around the spine. Joint stiffness is reduced through mobilizations, allowing the patient’s natural posture to return to normal without pain.

Another technique we regularly use to improve posture is myofascial release. This is applied on areas that contain fascia and soft tissues. Or fascia surrounds the structures in the body, providing support and protection. Without it, our movement would be much more painful and restricted. During an injury, this tissue hardens and can become scarred. Hardened fascia tissue tissue can worsen pain and restriction, which is a leading cause of poor posture. By loosening and stretching fascia tissue, we are able to improve restrictions and decrease pain, which allows a patient’s body to return to normal.

Whether you are suffering from tightness, inflexibility, or chronic pain, massage can benefit you greatly.