What can cause headaches, shoulder neck and back pain and can lead to degeneration of the spine? Surprisingly enough, the answer is poor posture. Sitting or standing incorrectly has been implicated in many conditions from arthritis, headaches and general fatigue to increased risk of certain types of injuries and even poor organ function.
But what exactly is good posture? This is the most efficient alignment of your spine and limbs which minimises stress on joints, ligaments and muscles. Poor posture is defined as a misalignment of the joints and muscles away from their most optimal or efficient position when sitting or standing.
Correcting posture becomes more difficult with age as there is more time for damage to occur (ie arthritis) therefore correcting your posture as a teenager is better than trying to correct it in your 40’s or 50’s when it is will be harder to fix. Improving posture will take time and effort, but is very worthwhile as doing so can decrease pain, improve energy levels and overall quality of life.
The following is a technique I use with my patients to correct sitting posture:
Sit on the front of your chair and slouch into the worst posture you can. Then imagine a string is tied around your lower back and coming out of your belly button. While keeping your shoulders relaxed and head looking forward, imagine someone is pulling that string so your lower spine is being pulled forward. When you have a slight forward curve in your lower back your entire spine is in perfect posture. It is important to avoid adjusting your head and shoulders, as they will naturally move into their most optimal position. Try and hold this posture for several minutes of every hour that you are sitting. We can help straighten out any postural difficulties with Postural Correction techniques and ¬ it may improve your health and wellbeing as well as allowing you to walk tall.