How PTSD Impacts Posture: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
How PTSD Impacts Posture and Why It Matters
If you’ve lived with PTSD or chronic anxiety, you may have noticed that your body doesn’t quite feel aligned. You might lean forward, experience ongoing neck and low back pain, and feel discomfort radiating down your legs—often more on the right side. But why does trauma manifest this way in the body?
What’s Going On in the Body?
Our bodies are wrapped in fascia—a thin, intelligent, and adaptive layer of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. In a healthy, balanced state, fascia allows for upright posture and fluid movement. But trauma changes that.
When the nervous system perceives danger—real or imagined—it instinctively pulls the body into a protective fetal position to shield vital organs. If the body never fully returns to a sense of safety, either physically or mentally, the fascia begins to mold itself around this defensive posture. Over time, this becomes the new “normal,” leading to lasting postural distortions and pain.
Long-Term Effects of PTSD on the Body
1. Atlas Misalignment (C1 Vertebrae)
During moments of fight or flight, quick head movement is crucial for survival. The atlas—the top vertebra at the base of the skull—often shifts to the right to facilitate rapid scanning of the environment. In PTSD, however, this shift becomes stuck. This misalignment can cause chronic neck pain, migraines, and a noticeable tilt in head posture. Over time, this can also contribute to TMJ issues and jaw dysfunction.
2. Right-Sided Collapse and Breathing Issues
People with PTSD often collapse forward and to the right. This is partly due to the diaphragm, which is larger and more dominant on the right side of the body. The collapse compresses the diaphragm, leading to shallow, restricted breathing. Without enough oxygen circulating through the muscles, anxiety and physical discomfort increase, creating a vicious cycle that reinforces both physical and emotional tension.
3. Chronic Psoas Contraction
The psoas is a deep core muscle connecting the upper and lower body, and it plays a central role in the trauma response. In PTSD, it contracts to pull the body forward into a fetal position. Over time, this leads to a weak, strained psoas, impaired digestion (from compression of the stomach), pelvic instability, and overactive hamstrings trying to compensate for lost balance.
The Full Picture: What Trauma Looks Like in the Body
Over time, the effects compound. The common postural pattern I see in clients with PTSD includes:
Forward head posture
Rounded shoulders
A head tilted to the left
Hips shifted to the right
A tucked tailbone
Each person’s compensation pattern is unique, but this combination is especially common in trauma survivors. By this stage, full-body aches and a variety of health concerns typically emerge.
How Trauma-Informed Structural Bodywork Can Help
When a client comes in with a PTSD holding pattern, the first step I take is a myofascial release along the front of the body. Since the collapse has compromised breathing, restoring functional breath is the top priority. Once the breath is open and the nervous system begins to regulate, deeper structural work becomes possible.
Structural bodywork is highly effective for PTSD because it doesn’t just chase symptoms—it addresses the root issues. By working with the fascia and structural imbalances in a safe, therapeutic environment, bodywork allows the client to reconnect with their body in a gradual and empowering way.
Over time, clients report:
A more grounded mind-body connection
Less pain and tension
Improved posture
Better breathing
A greater sense of internal safety
Final Thoughts
PTSD doesn’t just live in the mind—it lives in the body, too. But the good news is that with trauma-informed care, healing is absolutely possible. Structural and neuromuscular bodywork offers a pathway back to alignment, both physically and emotionally.