The spine is an essential element of the human body because it offers stiffness and flexibility to the torso, allowing you to move your limbs, stand erect, and walk. We wouldn’t be able to accomplish simple actions that we take for granted if we didn’t have a spine.

When your spine is aligned correctly, your body forms a straight line from head to shoulders, back, hips, knees, and feet. Furthermore, proper alignment is critical not just for maintaining good posture but also for avoiding long-term pain. It can restrict your range of motion, and significant issues can negatively affect your quality of life.

If you don’t know the causes of poor alignment, here are five common reasons why misalignment of the spine happens.

1. Faulty Posture

Poor posture is a condition that can cause your spine to curve into an unnatural position. It can also cause severe spinal compression if it is not treated. Lifestyle choices, such as smoking, commonly cause faulty posture. Sometimes, it is caused by underlying medical conditions.

In addition, when you are sitting or standing all day, you tend to hunch, which leads to poor posture. Working at a computer is an occupational hazard today, but you can prevent it from leading to misalignment by taking frequent breaks and changing your position regularly.

Moreover, many people tend to slouch, assuming it is a natural posture for them. Consequently, it causes a slight curvature in the lower back, but it is not suitable for the spine.

2. Malnutrition

Malnutrition is another common reason why misalignment of the spine occurs. If you don’t get the nutrients you need, your body will not be able to grow or repair itself properly, and this can lead to misalignment of the spine or even cause you to develop severe spinal compression. To help prevent this, you should eat a balanced diet.

3. Lack of Exercise

When you don’t exercise, your muscles can stay weak and can’t provide a stable foundation for your spine. A strong foundation for the spine is critical for preventing misalignment. Although you can’t exercise yourself into alignment, you can exercise to prevent future problems.

4. Improper Sleeping Position

Sleeping habits can also be a potential cause of spinal misalignment. This is especially the case if you sleep on your stomach or side.

Sleeping on your stomach pushes the neck and spine out of alignment and can cause severe spinal compression. Sleeping on your side can also cause misalignment if you sleep bent with one arm or leg.

5. Genetics

Some people are naturally more prone to spinal misalignment than others, as it is a matter of genetics. Even if you do everything right regarding your lifestyle and habits, it may not be easy to remain perfectly aligned. However, you can still do plenty of things to maintain good alignment and prevent misalignment from worsening.

Conclusion

Having a misaligned spine can cause severe problems with your overall health and your quality of life. For this reason, you must treat misalignment as soon as possible. One way to treat misalignment is to undergo chiropractic care, particularly upper cervical chiropractic care.

These adjustments restore the alignment of your spine and alleviate the problems associated with misalignment.

If you need chiropractic treatments in Arlington, Hawkeye Chiropractic is here at your service! It is a full-service chiropractic center led by Dr. Drew Voelsch, a leading Chiropractor in the local area. Contact us now!