Question
Hi Dr Mark,

My daughter is 14 years old and I have been trying to correct her poor posture through repeated  reminders but this doesn't seems to help. I believe this is affecting her overall health eg. feels tired easily, poor concentration etc. I will be taking her for a screening test this weekend (in respond to an ad in the papers) to check whether she has the "S" or "C" shape spine (I think she has the S type) and to find out whether there are solutions to this problem and the type of corrective actions to take. I have the following questions :
1. what are the best solutions to correcting the problem my daughter has
2. will yoga or pilates help
3. is there any other form of exercise that is suitable for her/ things to avoid etc.
4. how do I know whether the chiropractic whom I will be visiting this weekend has the right credentials and expertise

Thanks very much for your assistance.  

Answer
fundamentally, one's posture is an involuntary product of the health of their nervous system, so trying to make someone stand straight is an exercise in futility. in other words, their muscle imbalances and weaknesses are the product of incomplete innervation ( insufficient nerve energy )to the muscles involved. this also cannot be corrected through exercise. this can only be resolved by correcting the source of the nerve interference so that all the body's muscles will naturally take on their normal state of basic tension or tone. i recommend you seek out an HIO METHOD chiropractor for this purpose. unfortunately, as you know, there as those who  misrepresent themselves and what they do. in most cases, an HIO METHOD doctor will not use other methods, nor use therapies. they will usually use a side-posture adjusting table, a neurocalograph or equivalent and /or use muscle testing for analysis, and employ a toggle type adjustment.