It’s estimated that 1.3% of Americans, or about 3.3 million people, suffer from chronic fatigue.  The reasons can vary dramatically, but there’s one issue that otherwise overall healthy people tend to suffer from: poor posture.

In an age where a lot of people are slouching at their computers all day long, they wonder why they’re so exhausted day in, and day out.  Dr. Shayne Durbin, a Billings chiropractor, looks at how posture affects our ability to stay awake during the day.

How Poor Posture Affects the Body

Posture doesn’t just affect how alert you stay during the day, it can also affect many other areas of your life and health.  Some of them include:

• Joint Pain – This one is pretty obvious, if you’re slouched over, your body is putting undue stress on your joints. The longer they are held in these awkward positions, the more they’re going to ache by the end of the day.
• Chronic Fatigue – Fatigue pops up due to a variety of reasons. First, your body is working hard to hold itself in a position that’s unnatural; you’re getting quite the workout.  This is compounded with restricted airflow, poor circulation, and possibly pain too.
• Mental Health – Poor posture can lead to depression and anxiety. Because the body isn’t functioning optimally, you don’t feel good.  Because you don’t feel good, you wonder what’s going on.  Combine that with the idea look-good-feel-good, and your mind goes into overdrive.
• Appearance – Suppose you walk into a room, and there are two employees. One is sitting up straight; the other is slouched over.  Which is going to appear to be a better employee?  We make snap judgements, even if they’re wrong, they’re still lasting impressions.

Other Reasons for Chronic Fatigue

If you’re reading this and thinking, “My posture isn’t that bad.” You might be suffering from fatigue for a couple of different reasons.

Diet – The Standard American Diet (SAD, for short) is severely lacking in nutrients.  We gorge on fatty fried foods, preservative packed meals that are ready-to-eat, and wash it all down with an overly sugar laden drink.  Our bodies crave nutrition, but if we don’t give it to them, they get tired.

Exercise – One reason you might feel tired all the time is because you’re not using your body enough.  If you want to run a mile, but you’ve never ran before, you’ll be exhausted at the end of the mile.  If you run often, you might be a little winded, but not severely.  Keeping our bodies toned and in shape helps reduce the fatigue just going about daily life.

Sunshine – Here in Montana, the days get pretty short.  Our bodies are meant to be outside, soaking in that Vitamin D.  If you find that this time of year all you want to do is sleep, it could likely be a lack of direct sunlight.  Try to make time, even if it’s bitterly cold out, to be outside for a while every day.

Come See Dr. Shayne Durbin to Help Your Posture

Your Billings chiropractor wants you to be as pain free as possible, and have the energy of your youth.  Let’s start off by getting those joints lined up, and then you can adjust your posture so they stay lined up.

Call our offices and schedule your next visit at 406-545-2128, or fill out the contact form and request a time and we’ll get you scheduled as soon as possible.