A Simple Guide to Slouching Posture, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions

By Kenneth Kee

This book describes the Slouching Posture, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

This book took me a longer time to complete because I was trying out all the methods to improve the posture. All treatment methods are found to help! Kenneth Kee

Generally people sit hunched, arms crossed in a judgmental way, the whole of the bodies pulled into a frown - Jeremy Hardy

The slouch (also called iHunch) is a term used to indicate a person when they sharply bend their neck over their tablet or phone.

This action pushes the head forward in an unnatural position and places a lot of pressure on the spine.

A slouching posture can cause a number of medical disorders throughout the body such as back and neck pain, difficulty breathing, poor digestion, nerve issues and more.

A slouching posture places stress on the joints and tissues, producing joint stiffness, weakened muscles, and inflammation.

For many people, this disorder does not appear that serious.

The moment the person starts to feel the neck pain, back pain, headaches, and major shoulder pain, the person will begin to understand how serious this disorder is.

A slouching posture on the other hand is the form of posture that happens from certain muscles tightening up or shortening while others lengthen and become weak.

When a person considers posture, that person considers models that have to train to walk with good posture by learning to walk confidently with a book placed on their head.

A slouching posture can have an intense effect on the risk of producing lower back pain, headaches and other linked discomforts.

A slouching posture can also induce physical pain and emotional distress.

The slouching posture (also called “texting neck”) has become an epidemic with everyone always bent down to look at their phones or tablets.

People spend on average more than 3.75 hours daily bent over their phones.

The more people slouch, the greater is the weight that people place onto the spine.

This can produce permanent spine curvature, back pain, neck pain, and headaches.

Causes are:
Fatigue
Foot Placement
Shoulder Slump
Arched Lower Back
Locked Knees

Risk factors that can affect the slouching posture are:
Prolonged Sitting
Occupation
Sporting Activities
General Fitness

Symptoms:

The most frequent symptoms of the slouch are:
Potbelly
Pain anywhere on the body
Muscle fatigue
Rounded shoulders
Bent knees when walking or standing
Headaches
Back pain
The head leans backward or forward

Hunching can damage the lungs by lowering lung capacity by up to a third of its regular capability.

Oxygenated blood insufficiency can lead to blood and vascular disease and shortness of breath.

Heartburn and Poor Digestion is affected by hunching since it makes it more difficult for food to pass through the intestines efficiently.

Poor slouching posture induces constipation and stress incontinence

Poor slouching posture results in problems with the body’s fibers, nervous system and muscles

Slouching is not good for the self-esteem

The first rule of treatment of the Slouch is to be aware of any slouching and prevent the formation of a Slouch

The correction of bad slouching posture takes the pressure off the joints by performing posture-strengthening exercises and practicing good posture:
Stand Upright
Walk Like There is a Book on The Head
Sit upright
Change position
Avoid backpacks
Do not slouch to Text or Using the computer
Select a Proper Mattress
Do Yoga stretches

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Slouching Posture
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Good Posture
Chapter 8 Hyper-kyphosis
Epilogue

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: Jan 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9780463908426

Kenneth Kee

Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

Book preview

A

Simple

Guide

To

Slouching Posture,

Diagnosis,

Treatment

And

Related Conditions

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2022 Smashwords Edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Slouching Posture, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What You Need to Treat Slouching Posture)

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If the person would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog: http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiography account of my journey as a medical student to family doctor on my other blog: http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiography account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

My diagnosis and treatment capability has improved tremendously from my continued education.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Slouching Posture

This book took me a longer time to complete because I was trying out all the methods to improve the posture. All treatment methods are found to help! Kenneth Kee

Generally people sit hunched, arms crossed in a judgmental way, the whole of the bodies pulled into a frown. Jeremy Hardy

What is the Slouch?

The slouch (also called iHunch) is a term used to indicate a person when they sharply bend their neck over their tablet or phone.

This action pushes the head forward in an unnatural position and places a lot of pressure on the spine.

A slouching posture can cause a number of medical disorders throughout the body such as back and neck pain, difficulty breathing, poor digestion, nerve issues and more.

A slouching posture places stress on the joints and tissues, producing joint stiffness, weakened muscles, and inflammation.

For many people, this disorder does not appear that serious.

The moment the person starts to feel the neck pain, back pain, headaches, and major shoulder pain, the person will begin to understand how serious this disorder is.

A slouching posture on the other hand is the form of posture that happens from certain muscles tightening up or shortening while others lengthen and become weak.

This often happens as an effect of one's physical activities.

Posture indicates mainly to the alignment of joints, and is normally linked with the natural curves of the spine and the position of the head and pelvis.

When a person considers posture, that person considers models that have to train to walk with good posture by learning to walk confidently with a book placed on their head.

A slouching posture can cause back and shoulder pain to frequent headaches and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.

A slouching posture can have an intense effect on the risk of producing lower back pain, headaches and other linked discomforts.

A slouching posture can also induce physical pain and emotional distress.

Knowledge of the causes of slouching posture may help the person correct the poor posture.

There are two forms of posture:

1. Dynamic posture

2. Static posture

Dynamic posture is when the position places pressure on the spine while moving.

Static posture indicates the above position but while standing, sleeping, or sitting.

The slouching posture (also called texting neck) has become an epidemic with everyone always bent down to look at their phones or tablets.

If people take a look at recent research, people spend on average more than 3.75 hours every day bent over their phones.

The more people slouch, the greater is the weight that people place onto the spine.

This can produce permanent spine curvature, back pain, neck pain, and headaches.

What are the Causes of the Slouch?

Causes

1. Fatigue

Most children are taught by their parents from birth to learn to stand up straight in order to have good posture.

It will become more difficult to keep the back straight and tall as the best way to have good posture, the longer the person attempts to hold the position.

The muscles supporting the back will become fatigued and lead to the spine and shoulders bending lower and worsening the posture.

It is important to make sure that the person does not stay in one position too long to counteract this.

2. Foot Placement

Foot placement is important to make sure that the person has good posture.

It does not matter how straight the person keeps the spine if the foot placement is not in a natural, comfortable position.

The feet normally roll inward, causing the knees to bend and the back to slouch.

Bad posture normally happens as a result of this foot placement.

The whole body will be tired if the feet remain in this position which will cause further bad posture.

The person should make sure that the person keep the feet placed upright and wear comfortable and supportive shoes to help with their placement.

A slouching posture will in time involve the joints.

Inheritance of the possibility to bring the body out of alignment may happen if other family members have similar slouching posture.

Tiredness or fatigue will produce a slouching posture; also poor sleeping positions will cause misalignment of the spine.

The body's posture is often moved out of alignment by wearing high-heeled shoes and ill-fitting shoes that place pressure on the joints in the spine, legs and feet.

3. Shoulder Slump

Slumped shoulders can lead to many postural disorders beginning with the upper portion of the spine.

Head forward, rounded shoulders, sunken chest and hyper-kyphosis (excessive curvature of the upper spine) happen due to slumped shoulders.

Work using a computer gives the person a natural inclination to push the head forward, hunching the shoulders and producing poor alignment of the joints in the neck and upper body.

A lack of flexibility in the chest and shoulder and weak upper back and abdominal muscles are also factors leading to this disorder.

Shoulder slumping is normally present in a sitting position, whether at the desk or at home.

The long hours spent reading or watching television or using the computer can produce shoulder slumping.

Exercises to strengthen the upper back may improve this disorder.

Stretching for the chest and shoulder muscles will improve flexibility and permit the person to comfortably squeeze the shoulder blades together and expand the chest while sitting.

4. Arched Lower Back

Excessive slouching of the back will produce pain in the lower back.

The cause is an abdomen that protrudes and pulls the top of the hips forward, producing a back tilt of the tailbone.

This disorder is called lordosis which is an excessive curvature of the lower spine.

Factors which add to lordosis are:

a. Excessive weight in the abdomen,

b. Weak abdominal muscles

c. Inflexible hamstrings, the muscles in the back of the legs.

The bent back normally happens in a standing position.

This disorder can be made better by:

a. The abdominal muscles being strengthened,

b. The weight in the abdominal area being reduced and

c. The hamstrings being stretched.

Body consciousness helps the person avoid the abdominal muscles from sagging or relaxing and pulling forward.

A slouching posture has been identified for producing back pain.

5. Locked Knees

The knees are the most susceptible joints, carrying the body weight while absorbing impact with movement.

The knee joint is needed to be flexible and mobile since any poor stability can result in injury.

When the body is straightened, proper posture involves soft knees that are slightly bent, not locked.

When standing for long periods, the body is likely to go into a leaning position, putting one or both knees in a locked position.

A strain on the knees will be produced by excessive weight.

Structural anomalies such as knees knocking inward or bowing outward will extend the ligaments, the connective tissue that keeps the knee joint stable.

Knee stability will increase postural disorders through strength training.

A slouching posture can produce a profound effect on the risk of developing lower back pain, headaches and other linked discomforts.

Risk factors that can involve the slouching posture are:

1. Prolonged Sitting

A large proportion of the time is spent sitting down.

An adverse effect on the posture is produced just by sitting down for long periods.

The hip flexor, hamstrings and abdominal muscles all become tighter while the gluteus maximus (buttock) and erector spinae muscles (back) become stretched and weaker.

This imbalance between the anterior and posterior musculature causes a flexed spine position called hyper-kyphosis.

The more the body utilizes a seated position the worse the slouching posture can become.

2. Occupation

Some occupations have an adverse effect on the posture.

The use of bending forward position is required for some occupations in addition to occupations that require long periods of sitting.

Carpet fitters, plumbers, motor mechanics and electricians are prone to spend a lot of time in the hunched-over spinal position which can worsen the posture.

The jobs that require the person to carry an asymmetrical load can lead to the slouching posture.

Scoliosis (a sideways postural abnormality) can be caused by postal delivery and newspaper delivery workers who lug their bags over one shoulder.

3. Sporting Activities

Some sports can have an adverse effect on the posture while sport and exercise are normally known to have great benefit for the posture.

Prolonged durations riding on a low-slung racing bicycle can cause over-stretched back muscles and tight hip flexors and abdominals making the standing up straight posture to be difficult.

A person who runs needs:

a. A forward head position,

b. A strengthened forward lean and short hip flexors

This can cause a rise in kyphosis or rounded back posture.

Many people who exercise are focused on the muscles they can see in the mirror, particularly their chest, shoulders and arm muscles.

These muscles can become too short and pull the shoulders, head and upper body forward into a hyper-kyphotic position.

4. General Fitness

Good posture requires flexibility and strength equally.

The postural muscles must have strength enough to support the head and keep the spine upright.

This hard exertion will reduce any tightness in the opposing muscles.

The core muscles must have strength sufficient to support the efforts of the arms and legs.

The core muscles such as the abdominals, waist and back muscles strengthen the spine from within by producing intra-abdominal pressure.

Intra-abdominal pressure assists the postural muscles to keep a neutral spine position where all of the curves in the spinal column are aligned to make sure that the head is supported with minimal stress on the passive structures such as the ligaments and intervertebral discs.

The posture is considered necessary to be the support for standing, sitting and lying down.

To maintain the body in a balanced and supported way, good posture is essential.

The posture stops injury, protects against shock absorption and prevents stress and pain.

Poor slouching posture starts in early childhood and can have an adverse effect on the normal growth and development of the spine, producing future medical disorders.

5. Poor Slouching Posture Effects

Poor slouching posture can be one of the sources of joint injury.

The person sits, stands and walks properly so that the skeleton is properly aligned when the person has good posture.

The weight is equally distributed and the body is in balance.

Poor slouching posture will induce the bones to move out of alignment, altering the balance of weight and putting unnecessary stress on the joints.

The person may experience prolonged joint pain and limited range of motion in the shoulders, spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet when bad slouching posture cause misalignment of the bones.

The muscle or cartilage that protects each joint or the joints themselves may be result in injury from poor slouching posture.

The person most likely slouches with the shoulders bent forward:

a. When the person sits and leans forward holding the head down and in front of the shoulders or

b. When the person walks as if the person has a slouching posture.

Over time, this position of the head and upper body can cause undue pressure on the neck and shoulder joints.

Headaches and joint pain can be produced by pressure on the neck and shoulder joints.

Unnecessary stress and tension on the joints from slouching posture can also produce excess wear and tear on joints that may result in arthritis, chronic back pain and fatigue later in life.

Slouching that can cause excess strain on the joints can happen from lifestyle habits such as: