There are a couple different types of postures 

What most people don't consider is that there is more than one type of posture that should be worked on, the two types of posture are static and dynamic posture. Static posture would look like a person sitting at a desk, not moving. Dynamic posture would look like a person bending over to pick something up off the floor, moving. Both of which should be actively worked on to prevent pain and injury. We've all heard stories of people bending over to pick something up and “tweaking their back,” or the common "I sit too much so my neck hurts." More times than not, the injury or pain could have been avoided if better posture was used.

Common faults seen with static and dynamic posture...

Static- 

A common phrase used to describe poor static posture is upper cross syndrome. Upper cross syndrome involves...

• Forward rounded shoulders
• Rounded upper back
• Forward jutted chin and 
• A slouched low back

Dynamic- 

• Bending over with more motion coming from the low back than the hips (often caused by tight hamstrings).
• Bending and twisting at the lumbar spine when picking up and moving objects. 
• Poor abdominal bracing and poor diaphragmatic breathing.

People will often come in searching for the quick and easy trick to having good posture. What they often don't want to hear is that fixing posture whether it be static or dynamic takes time and repetition to see improvement. When doing exercises to retrain the body, it is important to be diligent to what you are trying to achieve.

Chiropractic care and physical therapy for posture

Chiropractic care is a great way to improve mobility in the spine and muscles, which allow the body to get into positions that are preferable in regards to posture. Also, chiropractic is a great starting place for patients who are in too much pain to even move in the positions they want. The chiropractors job is to improve mobility and decrease pain. The patients job when they leave the office is to take the exercises and/or stretches prescribed by the chiropractor to help  maintain mobility and stabilize their body in the improved posture.  

Maintenance to help posture

Posture is not a one time fix. Whether you have an 8-5 desk job or are very physically strenuous job, posture is something that always needs worked on. Once the patient has posture that is satisfactory to them, it is easy to fall out of good posture when focus is lost, therefor doing postural exercises often, and sustaining mobility in the spine is important to maintain good posture. 

Also doing movements opposite to those that are performed on a daily basis from work or hobbies, are key to sustaining multidirectional mobility. An example would be a roofer who is bent over in flexion, looking down all day during work, doing stretches that involve extending the thoracic spine and looking up.

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