Many books and articles have been written on the power of body language and how it can change the way we perceive the world and the way the world perceives us. As a chiropractor, I want to talk about one particular aspect of body language, that of posture, and how chiropractic care can help you feel more confident and powerful.
Recent research by Amy Cuddy at Harvard University has proven a very surprising fact about body language and body chemistry: standing tall in a powerful and straight posture, even when you don’t feel confident, can change your brain’s hormone levels and affect your optimism and confidence levels.
Cuddy’s research which was first presented at a TED Talk last summer (Your body language shapes who you are) discovered that expanded torso positions, like those of someone who is free from lower and upper back pain and has a properly aligned spine, can change the levels of testosterone and cortisol in your body.
Specifically, proper posture can increase the levels of testosterone (T) and decrease the levels of cortisol (C). This combination of high T and low C has been linked to better health, high disease resistance, and leadership ability.
The bad news is that just like good posture can make you feel more optimistic, confident, and bold, bad posture can make you feel tired, powerless, diffident, and psychologically conservative. “Not only does power change the body, but altering one’s postures changes one’s power, or at least the psychological experience of it” (Scientific American: How You Can Become More Powerful by Literally Standing Tall).
Clearly, our posture and body language have more to do with our decision-making and subconscious thinking. If you have been feeling tired, stressed, powerless, or depressed, then you should talk to your chiropractor about how an adjustment can help you. Many of our patients have seen results immediately after their first session.
The power of chiropractic in changing your mood and confidence lies in the attention it places on the spine and its proper alignment. Many people visit their chiropractor only after they have started feeling pain in their lower and upper back or neck, and neglect all the signs before the discomfort begins.
Daily anxiety and low confidence levels can actually be a warning sign that a vertebra has changed position or a spinal nerve has been compromised. When you start feeling your mood changing, take a look at the mirror. Does your posture look different? If you try to stand up tall, do you get tired or feel discomfort? Then your spine might be off and your body might be slowly losing its power.
A properly aligned spine can help you stand tall with ease and comfort. Talk to your chiropractor about getting an adjustment today.
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