In my article on being deliberate to safeguard our health, I talked about poor posture as one of the issues we are struggling with day to day. I talked about being deliberate and very aware of our posture when we sit. This is because sitting is the posture that puts your back under a lot of pressure more than standing and walking or even running.
Bad posture is a common problem for many people, as we live in a world full of activities leading to poor posture. Postural dysfunction (poor posture) is when our spine is situated in unnatural positions for extended periods of time, occurring as a result of one’s daily activities.
Some causes of poor posture include:
- Slouching in a chair
- Hunching your back
- Improper understanding of correct posture
- Leading a sedentary lifestyle
- Not having an exercise routine
- Poor core stability
- Looking down at your computer and/or cell phone for extended periods of time.
While at work, you slouch in your chair as you hurriedly finish a report. When you get home, you want to unwind so you spend a few hours weeding your garden with your back hunched forward or slouch in a couch watching television.
How poor posture provokes back pain
You may not feel any ill-effects after sitting with poor posture for a few hours, but over time the stress that poor posture places on your spine can lead to anatomical changes in your spine. This in turn can provoke back pain through the constriction of your blood vessels and nerves. In addition, the stress from poor posture can lead to back pain by causing problems with your muscles, discs, and joints.
Back pain caused by poor posture may have any of the following characteristics:
- Back pain that is worse at certain times of the day
- Pain that starts in your neck and moves down into your upper and lower back
- Pain that subsides after switching positions while sitting or standing
- Sudden back pain that coincides with a new job, a new office chair or a new car
However, poor posture can easily be corrected.
Why you should fix your bad posture now
Bad posture doesn’t only make you look unhealthy and unattractive; it also causes several health problems. Take a look at this infographic to learn how bad posture makes you look and feel unhealthy and tired, and how good posture makes you look and feel healthy and confident:
Know if your posture is really bad
Let’s examine some examples of poor posture versus good posture.
- Poor Posture: Rounded shoulders, slouching, head tilted forward, bent knees, pot belly
- Good Posture: Straight line from your ear to your shoulder to your hip, balanced and upright posture
Image via Thephysiocompany.com
So, what can you do to correct poor posture?
References
| [1] | ThePhysioCompany.com: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Bad Posture |
| [2] | Yalch Clinic: Bad Posture vs Good Posture |
| [3] | ThePhysioCompany.com: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Bad Posture |
| [4] | Calisthenicmovement: Improve Your Posture |
Complied By; Eunice Kabana,
Physiotherapist,
C & P Health Center.
