Posture: A Window To Your Spine

I’ll never forget the time I was standing at an outdoor event at a booth promoting chiropractic care and our office near Boston, MA.  It was early in my career at that time, and I was sure I was going to save the world, starting in my community, one spine at a time. My booth remained busy for the day, and I enjoyed answering people’s questions about their back pain and my office. I was certain that I had connected with my audience and there would be many new patients seeking care in my office the following week.

As the hours passed by and I was preparing to close the booth and gather up the materials an elderly man stopped in front of me and asked what I was selling. I explained I wasn’t selling anything but was educating people about chiropractic care. He attempted to straighten up from his hunched over posture and exclaimed before shuffling off, “I don’t need chiropractic----my back feels fine”! I was stunned for a moment and then realized how likely it was that his sentiments were shared by the masses. Yet, here he stood, hunched forward and struggling to walk. I could imagine just how bad his spine would look on an x-ray---riddled with degenerative disc disease and arthritis. I realized it wasn’t his fault, but no one had taught him the importance of caring for his spine over his lifetime.

I knew at that time I would have to show people that if they could maintain or regain more normal posture, their spines would be healthier and they would not only feel good, but they would function closer to 100% of their potential. It was then and it is now that I teach people that health is more than just feeling and looking good but is more about better healing and function. In fact, Dorland’s Medical Dictionary defines health as not merely the absence of symptoms, but total physical, mental and social well-being and 100% function of all body parts and systems. When you look in the mirror ask yourself if your posture needs help and realize you can make changes at any age----your life and health potential depend on it!