Let's set the record straight about Posture

The conversation about posture comes up loads in clinic. Posture is often blamed for different types of pain - back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, 'trapped nerves'.. etc.

I work in Occupational Health; lots of sedentary workers come in with aches and pains & are under the impression that their posture is to blame... In reality there are lots of different postural types... all of which ARE COMPLETELY NORMAL!

I stole this graphic from Adam Meakins, AKA The Sports Physio. (Find him here)

The point Adam is making is that there is no 'perfect posture' that keeps us free from pain & safe from niggles. There are different types of posture that are all personal to us, each with differing degrees of curvature.

What your body likes most if it's faced with sedentary tasks is regular movement

You could sit in what you think is the anatomically 'perfect' position... shoulders back, lumbar support, head back, chin tucked etc. but if you don't move regularly you might end up getting aches and pains.

As i've mentioned time and time again in my other blogs - what your body doesn't typically like is rapid change. If you rarely sit all day, then start a new desk job, you might get aches. If you're normally glued to a desk then get stuck into some DIY all day you'll probably feel it too. But the misconception that the position you naturally find yourself in predisposes you to pain is very misleading!

It can actually be damaging - Let's say you've been told you don't have enough curvature in your thoracic spine, (this is long-standing and normal for you). You then start to work on flexibility every day, pushing your spine into positions it's not used to - then you end up with aches and pains... So now your stiff back is sore - which confirms to you that something isn't right... so you do more stretches, you stop lifting in the Gym, you interpret every ache and pain as being linked to your posture when in fact it was normal all along!

Talk about a vicious cycle!

What we seem to know about the spine in particular and aches related to sitting or standing for long periods of time is that your body likes being moved regularly. By moving regularly you promote healthy muscles, joints, discs, nerves and you keep your nervous system happy. More often than not when we're talking about 'posture' we're talking about time rather than position.

A recent study (found here) showed that sitting slouched, or in 'supported slouching' can actually increase the height of your spinal discs, and can improve their hydration! This study was done with people sat in this position!

Quite incredible!

For the record, aches and pains related to sitting or standing can still benefit from treatment! If you're concerned about your posture, you could always get assessed and discuss your case with a professional. If you're a sedentary worker, limit the time you sit in any position, regardless of whether it's bolt-upright or not! And as Mr Meakins mentions earlier:

"Your best posture is your next one."

Matt

Other great resources for posture-related info include:

Nils from Trust Me Physiotherapy HERE

Ben Cormack from Cor-kinetic.com HERE

Both are great reads and both sites have loads of other useful blogs!