For aesthetic reasons, we naturally gravitate toward people with better posture. Slouching looks unprofessional, less serious, and lazy compared to a person with good posture. But what we often overlook are the consequences slouching and posture imbalance can have on our health.

What Can Posture Imbalance Affect?

The body’s systems work together with one another. Each structure relies on adjacent structures for support and to fulfill its purpose to run effectively and efficiently. As it happens, there is a direct relationship between the lower jaw’s position and the posture of the upper neck. For example, if the lower jaw is retruded or rests further back in the face than it should, it can force the tongue back further in the mouth and ultimately the throat. This non-optimal positioning can result in difficulty breathing, swallowing, and sleeping.

Posture and Breathing

A lower jaw that is retruded and set further back on the face affects a person’s ability to breathe normally. This issue in alignment forces the tongue farther back in the mouth which narrows the airway significantly and encourages the head to slouch forward to open the airway more. Narrowing of the airway logically leads to difficulty breathing, especially during sleep.

• Potential for obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is exactly as it sounds, a sleep disorder resulting from an obstruction in the airway. This disorder is not only the most common form of sleep apnea, but it is also the result of poor posture and the tongue being forced back farther into the mouth!
• Trouble breathing exacerbates poor posture: As a person continues to experience difficulty breathing, the head continues to shift forward. It’s our instinct to breathe for survival, so when the airway becomes narrowed, we respond by trying to open it as much as possible, and in this case, it forces us to slouch.

Posture and Swallowing

Swallowing is essential for eating and drinking, and it comes under strain when the throat is obstructed. This strain can affect your ability to enjoy eating, eating regularly, and staying hydrated. Each of these issues has its subsequent ramifications on your health in addition to trouble swallowing.

Posture Imbalance Treatment in Burke, VA

Dr. Pamela Marzban has years of experience treating patients with TMJ disorder. Many of these patients experience problems with their posture and combinations of the symptoms outlined above. Through custom-designed treatment plans and collaboration from our team of dental professionals, we’re able to help patients live healthier lives. For more information on how posture can affect the other aspects of your health, visit this article published in the Washingtonian or contact Dr. Pamela Marzban’s office at 703-323-8200.