What do you look for when choosing a significant other? (From a chiropractor's perspective)

When seeking a husband or wife, what characteristics do you look for? Do you look for someone with a great sense of humor? Do you focus on good looks? Do you feel that a great personality is the most important? Do you want someone smart or with wealth? 

Have you ever considered first checking the candidate’s posture to see if they will have good health to old age?

So you want to be with this person forever, have a family, be happy, be healthy, and grow old together. Perhaps you plan to travel the world together even when you are aged 80 or 90. But if this person’s joints are highly degenerated and compressing the nerves creating pain, or if they require a walking aid or a wheelchair, then you probably won’t be going anywhere other than the clinic of many therapists.

Let me tell you how to find a strong mate who will be mobile into old age.

When you are considering a potential mate, first do a simple posture check. Have them stand with their feet shoulder-width apart. Standing behind them, first check if their ear lobes are level. If not this could indicate fixated joints in the neck region. Next, check if the shoulders are level. If not, this could indicate fixated joints in the thoracic region or a shoulder problem. Then check if their hips are level. If not, there may be fixated joints in the pelvis or lower back regions. 

Next, have them turn sideways. If this person has good posture, you should be able to draw an imaginary vertical line running from the ear lobe to the shoulder, to the middle of the hip, to the middle of the knee joint, ending at a point of the back third of the foot. If you note that these landmarks do not fall in a straight line, then it is most likely this person has many fixated joints and a habit of poor posture.

Good posture may be equated to good health. Ideal posture is when your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints, and ligaments are working optimally. In this position, your joints are experiencing the least amount of stress and will not degenerate prematurely. Good posture helps to contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system, leading your entire body including all the organ systems to function well.

With poor posture over time, there will be greater forces on the spine and joints. If the joints are not in the right position, and there are changes in the shape of the natural, protective spinal curves then degeneration will set in quickly and too early. There will be a decrease in the joint spaces, formation of bone spurs, and decrease in the function of the intervertebral discs that may lead to long-term pain and discomfort. Poor posture can also lead to fixations in the spinal joints. These fixations may lead to irritation on the spinal nerves leading to pain and discomfort, pain syndromes, and even affecting the organs.

From this simple posture test, you may have noted that your potential/current partner has many spinal joint problems. Now notice if they demonstrate poor postural habits such as crossing their legs, sitting with their wallet in their back pocket, carrying their bags only on one shoulder, regularly standing with their weight on one leg, always looking down at their phone, or sitting slanted to one side. These are also indicators that the spine is under frequent stress and may be a sign of potential spinal problems coming down the road. Beware!

If you really believe this candidate has good long-term potential other than their spinal condition, don’t worry! There are ways to improve the situation. First, fix the spinal joints to make sure the nervous system can function properly. To do this it would be best to find a professional such as a chiropractor who has the skills and knowledge to find and fix the joint problems. Next, this person needs to change their poor postural habits. They need to ensure that their posture is balanced when they carry out their activities of daily living. Finally, exercise needs to be done to maintain the mobility and flexibility of the joints and muscles. This entire process may take some time as habits are difficult to break and then train again, but if this person is right for you, then it is worth it.

Remember when choosing a person to be with forever, don’t get distracted by their bright smile and sparkling eyes. Do a posture screen!