Back Pain and Posture

Stand up straight and other better posture tips to avoid back pain.

There’s no doubt about it, back pain can be crushing and can significantly alter your life. It’s an affliction that affects many people every single day.  It can bring on such pain that it causes you to crumble.  You might feel as you are unable to move not only because of the physical pain of back pain but because of the depression and anxiety often associated with back pain.

While there are multiple causes of back pain one of the easiest to fix is poor posture.  Correct your posture, stand up straight and you have a chance of reducing your back pain and getting your life back. 

A primary area of challenge when you are trying to maintain good posture is when sitting; however, if you do the work and learn the proper posture techniques then you can reduce the strain on your lower back particularly when you are sitting.   

One of the hallmarks of good posture while sitting is to use the chair! 

Goodness, don’t avoid the chair use it to help you get keep a good posture. 

If you slouch and lean forward when you are sitting down then you can create even more strain on your back.  If you are an office person and you sit in a chair for the majority of the day, make certain that you have a chair that has been designed to be ergonomically correct for back support.

You must also consider how your arms sit when you are sitting in the chair. Thinking about good posture it is important that your arms are bent at the elbows away from your body at a 75-90 degree angle.  Ok now on to the knees which when you are sitting should be even with if not just a little higher than your hips.  Both of your feet should be planted flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders straight, and be sure to not sit for too long of a period of time. If you must sit for a long period of time then try to take frequent breaks to walk around for a bit, get your circulation flowing and stretch. 

To prevent back pain, not only is it important to maintain a good posture while sitting it is equally as important to have a proper posture when you are standing too. 

Keeping your weight mostly on the balls of your feet, and not the heels, also remember to keep your feet spaced slightly apart.  Think about lining up your ankles with your shoulder blades in order to get the proper distance. Allow your arms to hang naturally at your sides and make sure that you don’t lock your knees.  Keep your chin tucked so that your head’s weight remains level and balanced which keeps undue stress from occurring. Keep your head directly above spine and neck and don’t allow your head to be pushed forward.

Stand erect, keeping your shoulders upright. If you have to stand for prolonged periods, shift your feet often and re-balance your weight by rocking from foot to foot or even rocking the weight from your heels to your toes.

If you really want to know how your posture lines up with proper posture, then stand directly next to a wall and if you’ve got good posture then your posterior, your shoulders, and the back of your head should all be touching the wall.  So did you stand against the wall and did you pass the good posture test?

If you really want to relieve back pain by developing good posture then it really isn’t that hard.  It’s like grandma told you, good posture looks better than slouching!  Plus with good posture you have a better chance at avoiding back pain. 

So stand up straight!