We offer free phone consults and posture checks
For a long time, people have put a lot of emphasis on posture, and how by correcting your posture it will not only improve your back pain but will also reduce your chances of experiencing back pain. As a chiropractor, I’ve observed the significant impact of posture on spinal health. Is this emphasis on posture truly effective? Well, quite simply no. However, ask a different question such as “is posture important?” and in the context of what I’m going to explain then the answer is “Yes”! But firstly…what even is posture?
Posture generally refers to the position and alignment of the body’s limbs and trunk when standing and sitting. It can involve the entire body, including the head, neck, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and feet.
There are many different examples of posture such as lordotic posture, swayback posture, kyphotic posture, anterior pelvic tilt and forward head carriage to name a few. You don’t need to know or learn these but generally speaking they are body positions that sit outside of what is considered “normal” or “healthy” posture.
“Good” posture is generally characterised by an alignment that minimises stress and strain on the muscles, bones, and joints and promotes efficient movement and function. Poor posture, on the other hand, is thought to lead to various musculoskeletal conditions and may contribute to pain and discomfort – but is this true…?
There are many factors that we know contribute and can lead to back pain such as age, sedentary lifestyle, mental health (such as anxiety and depression) and poor sleep habits. However, aside from these factors, posture has become a key component in the management of back and neck pain, often with health care professionals placing a lot of emphasis that their posture is the sole cause of their back and neck pain and in order to resolve it you simply have to improve your posture when working at your desk. However, studies have shown that posture alone isn’t the direct cause of your pain, but is instead more of a movement quality issue that is at fault. So this is a classic case of outcome by association and not causation.
As we age our posture often worsens and alongside this our pain often also worsens. But this does not mean the two are exclusively related, because as we age we also move less as well. What we have to be aware of here is that if we are struggling to move in and out of certain positions, and for lack of a better term we become “stuck”, then this is not a posture issue but a MOVEMENT issue. Let me repeat that again; you have a movement issue, NOT a posture issue.
Our brains are what keeps us alive and controls every single function of our bodies. There is a symbiotic relationship between the amount we move and the quality of our movement and how our brain controls this. The more we move consistently the more the brain receives these signals and neurological pathways stay open. On the flip side, if we ignore certain movements then these neurological pathways will start to diminish and the movement becomes trickier.
What matters is the movement rather than the appearance of standing or sitting. Movement messages are registered in the spine and because of the relationship between the spine and the brain, if the spine fails to move properly it can alter these signals and ultimately reduce movement over time. Think of it as a “use it or lose it” scenario. By keeping your spine mobile and healthy it will improve your brain’s ability to remain active and healthy.
So to help yourself and avoid spending loads of money on expensive ergonomically perfect chairs, instead try to get up and move a little every 20-30 minutes and commit to some form of exercise, anything from a couple of 10 minute walks a day to getting to the gym for an hour of lifting weights.
Focus less on static posture and more on movement.
