The Relation Between Posture And Spinal Health
Posture—the art of holding your body in a proper position as you walk, sit or lie—is more than just a cosmetic tool.
Doctors everywhere will agree that there is a definite positive relation between good posture and spinal health. Long term effects from bad posture aren’t felt immediately, but over time, the stress placed on the spine can change its structure, effectively constricting nerves and blood vessels.
Whether you’re working a job that requires you to be sitting or standing all day, adopting good posture habits is important to keep your spine healthy and to avoid any neck or back pain. To help get you started, here are some expert tips on managing posture:
Identify the Cause
If you’re experiencing back pain, it may be the result of bad posture. Keep track of when you feel pain—is it after working, driving, or sitting for a while in a new chair? Any pain that goes away after switching things up is likely linked to posture.
Move Around
When sitting for long periods of time, your muscles tire out; eventually, you might slouch or slump or assume another bad posture which will put stress on your neck and back. Take regular breaks from sitting by walking around for a bit to refresh yourself.
Use Support
If you’re sitting at a desk for the usual 8 hours a day, it’s important to make use of the one tool you have in promoting good posture—the office chair. Rather than hunching forward, keep your back against the chair and refrain from crossing your legs unevenly. While using a computer, make sure the screen is at a height such that you don’t have to tilt your head to look at it.
Make an Effort
To remain aware of your posture throughout the day, consciously keep reminding yourself about situations where bad posture led to back pain. Eventually, you will form an unconscious association between posture and back pain and will automatically avoid poor posture.
Don’t Overdo It
We realize it might seem counter intuitive to warn against maintaining proper posture in an article focused on posture. But many a times, people will in their effort to maintain posture, restrict their bodies from utilizing its full range of movement. This can also have adverse effects on spinal health.
Bad posture causes pain, so it would make sense that good posture would eliminate it. Engrain our simple tips in your everyday life and we guarantee an abundance of spinal health.
However, in the off chance that improving posture does not resolve your back pain, the cause might be one of those discussed in our earlier blog post.
Make an appointment with Laser Spine Center of Chicago by calling 708-966-8000 and getting your back pain resolved through one of our minimally invasive treatment methods!
