Reports that a visit to your nearest chiropractor can boost your sex life have been given new impetus by New Zealand research just published, according to The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA).
According to a recent study by a team at the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, published in the international journal Health Psychology, poor posture could be putting our sex drive in jeopardy, causing shallow breathing and exacerbating feelings of stress, which affects our sleep and energy levels1.
Speaking about World Spine Day (16th October), NZCA spokesman and chiropractor, Dr Hayden Thomas says: We know that good posture is a key part of maintaining good spinal health, so we want to encourage New Zealander’s to visit their chiropractor and make sure that everything is aligned and functioning the way it should be. Your family chiropractor will be able to advise you on ways to improve your posture and ensure you have a healthier spine as a healthy spine and nervous system is a key part of overall health and wellbeing.’
To observe whether an upright seated posture could influence affective (emotional) and cardiovascular responses to a psychological stress task, compared to a slumped seated posture, the University of Auckland researchers recruited a small cohort of 74 people. The participants were randomly assigned to either a slumped or upright seated posture during a reading test while their backs were strapped to hold this posture throughout the experiment. To reduce expectation effects of posture, the cohort was told a cover story. A special task was used to induce stress, and then the participants’ responses were measured, and their mood, self-esteem, and perceived threat were assessed.
The findings revealed participants who sat up straight reported higher self-esteem, more arousal, better mood, and lower fear compared to their slouched counterparts. Slumped participants spoke less than those sitting upright; however, when they did speak, they used more negative emotion words, more first-person singular pronouns, showing they were more self-focused, more words linked to sadness, and fewer positive emotion words. "Adopting an upright seated posture in the face of stress can maintain self-esteem, reduce negative mood, and increase positive mood compared to a slumped posture," the authors wrote in the study.
Each year on October 16th, World Spine Day is observed to encourage spinal health by disseminating information on good spinal health habits. The NZCA runs the Straighten Up New Zealand (SUNZ) online resource www.straightenup.org.nz, which provides information for adults, children, educators and healthcare professionals on ways to keep active and maintain spinal health by using the Just Start Walking and Straighten Up programmes.
Dr Hayden Thomas explains: ‘The NZCA recommends having every member of the family checked by an NZCA member chiropractor to help the spine and nervous system function at an optimal level. Doing the three-minute set of simple exercises recommended by SUNZ every day will help improve posture, stabilise core muscle groups, enhance health and prevent spinal disability. It is also important to encourage family members and work colleagues to stand or sit upright, to take frequent breaks and to walk around and stretch if they have been sitting down for a while. This helps prevent joints stiffening and muscles getting tight and strained.’
Straighten Up New Zealand is a simple, engaging spinal exercise programme, designed to support spinal health. The Straighten Up campaign was originally developed in the USA and is now being adopted by countries all over the world. The NZCA has produced brochures and posters, and developed a website to support the campaign. Remember that it is always advisable to be checked regularly by your family chiropractor and have any pain that is severe or not improving checked out promptly.
For more information on the Straighten Up campaign, visit www.straightenup.org.nz. Further details on the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association can be found at www.chiropractic.org.nz.
1 http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2014-37739-001/