Bottom Line:
Does your back hurt from sitting at work? Do you like to go for walks but are scared of back pain creeping in? If this sounds like you, your posture may be to blame! Posture is described as the position that your body maintains while standing, sitting, walking or lying down. Most experts would agree that "good" posture reduces the stress on your spine by balancing the load placed upon the muscles and ligaments that support it. If you’re struggling with poor posture we’re here to help you fix it!
Why it Matters:
Good posture is essential because it helps you keep your bones and joints in proper alignment. This helps reduce the wear and tear on your joints and can decrease the strain on the ligaments that support your spine. New research also indicates that maintaining a good or balanced posture can also help you use your muscles more efficiently and prevent fatigue.
To prevent back pain, your best posture may be one of motion. If you sit in one position too long, small nerves will detect the pressure and send messages to your brain, indicating that you're uncomfortable which prompts you to move.
Researchers believe that these "uncomfortable" signals, before pain, is our body's way of telling us to move or change positions. One of the best strategies to reduce neck and low back pain associated with sitting is to use a standing desk or get up and move every hour.
Good posture means keeping your weight evenly distributed and your spine aligned.
Changing positions or using a standing desk can help you improve your posture and reduce your risk of neck and back pain.
Standing desks have been shown to reduce back pain by over 30% compared to sitting at a desk.
Taking breaks from sitting to move can help combat the effects of sitting in poor posture.
Next Steps:
“Movement is the medicine of the future”
One of the best ways to improve your posture is to not stay in a single position for too long. Changing your position throughout the day, using lumbar support when seated, and even using a standing desk, are all ways that you can reduce fatigue and pain.
We often get into a forward-leaning, rounded shoulder, posture from looking at our phones or working at a desk. The reason for this is because we are naturally drawn closer to the screens (stimulus) and don’t notice until our back or neck begins to hurt. Use this exercise to correct your posture without any equipment!
Avoid using arm slings or other “posture corrector” devices/ supports. These products don’t fix the problem and often make it worse! Why? Wearing these devices weakens the muscles of your back even more because they become reliant on the support.
You need to strengthen the posture stabilizing muscles of your back to truly correct your posture and get long-lasting pain relief.
Fix your posture by incorporating posture correcting exercises like these into your daily routine.
Does your back begin to hurt after sitting or standing for long periods of time? Use these exercises to loosen up your back! Watch how much better your back feels after giving it the movement it craves!
It’s also important to restore the movement of you’re spine. Our backs often get very stiff from sitting for long periods of time. Give this next exercise a try and see how much better your back will feel after some movement!
If you are suffering from back pain that you believe may be posture-related, we are here to help! This is something we can fix together and have done so with many patients before you! Don’t keep living in pain, contact us at Michigan Complete Chiropractic & Rehab to learn what we can do to correct your posture and eliminate your pain and get you back to doing what you love, pain-free.
Schedule your appointment today!
Call (734) 212-5828 or Click HERE to book online
You can also follow us on social media for more spine health info and exercises to keep you’re back healthy!:
Facebook: @mcompletechiro
YouTube: Michigan Complete Chiropractic & Rehab
Instagram: @mcompletechiro
Science Source(s):
Back Health and Posture. Cleveland Clinic. 2020
Breaking up workplace sitting time with intermittent standing bouts improves fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort in overweight/obese office workers.
Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2014
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