Could Unhealthy Posture Hurt Your Organs?
Have you ever wondered if how you sit and stand could affect your health negatively? You probably have felt tension and/or pain in your back or neck from sitting in an unhealthy position. But did you know that this “out of Balance” posture can actually affect your internal organs?
I read some fascinating information in a book called “Energy Medicine; the Scientific Basis” by James L. Oschman. He describes how gravity is a powerful force that affects us differently depending on our vertical alignment.
The work of Dr. Joel Goldthwait, who was a surgeon at Harvard Medical School, gives us some intriguing information. Dr. Goldthwait was the founder of the orthopaedic clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in the early 20th century.
Surgery Reveals a Surprising Connection
When performing surgery, “He noticed that abdominal nerves and blood vessels are under tension in individuals whose bodies are out of alignment. He also reported ‘stretching and kinking’ of the cerebral arteries and veins in those whose necks were bent. Various cardiac problems were correlated with ‘faulty body mechanics’ that distorted the chest cavity in a way that impaired circulatory efficiency. Goldthwait also documented with X-rays a build-up of calcium deposits around the vertebrae of individuals with chronic arthritis, and observed that these deposits can diminish when the individual acquires a more vertical stance.”
Wow! That is dramatic information. If you sit, stand and move “out of Balance” (out of alignment with the vertical axis), you could be impacting more than just your spine and other joints of the body.
Dr. Goldthwait believed that you should align your body parts in harmony with gravity in order to experience less wear & tear on your body as a whole. This also makes more energy available, because when you’re out of alignment, you’re inefficient as well.
He says, “The malposition of an organ will disturb its function. If malposition continues long enough, permanent damage will result, but if the faulty mechanics is corrected, damage will be prevented.”
He encouraged colleagues to pay more attention to postural alignment, but around that time drugs began to be widely used. His methods have been taken up more by body and movement therapists rather than physicians.
Stay Alert While Driving Too!
I notice when driving for long distances that if my head, neck & shoulders come too far forward, I get sleepy. When I draw each shoulder back & down and stretch the back of my neck, not only do I feel more aligned and comfortable, but I’m more alert. I noticed this shift in alertness right away when I started driving in a more Balanced position. My neck had more range-of-motion, and I was less sleepy on my daily commute from San Francisco to the Balance Center in Palo Alto (www.balancecenter.com).
Chiropractors teach that the position of the spine affects the nerves that exit from the spine – which then control all of our bodily functions. If you have a spinal misalignment, realigning that joint can help reduce stress on nerves (and organs). But if you then go right back to your typical unhealthy alignment (out of Balance), you can keep recreating that problem.
To get help with changing your alignment, you’re invited to come to a Free introductory workshop to learn how to sit pain free (see www.sonomabodybalance.com for the details). If you want to learn healthy posture and movement patterns to reduce pain, prevent injuries and increase your energy, I also offer the Balance Your Body program. You can see the details on my website, or contact me if you’d like to discuss whether this program would be right for you.
Why not start now getting back on the vertical axis, for the sake of your bones as well as your organs, so you can experience optimum health and energy?
(© 2010 Dana K. Davis. If you want to use this article in your E-zine or website, please credit Dana K. Davis, MA, www.sonomabodybalance.com.)
