When your head and spine are not aligned with your center of balance, poor posture is the result. The possible causes range from simple bad habits to weak muscle tone and bone disease. Poor posture usually leaves visual clues such slumped shoulders, uneven shoulders or unequal shoe wear. Whether your posture imbalance comes from habit or from a medical condition, it's never too late to correct it. Achieving good posture can prevent, alleviate or eliminate neck, joint and back pain.
Sitting
A slumped sitting posture exaggerates all three spinal curves---cervical, thoracic and lumbar---causing neck, shoulder and low back pain. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests correcting this poor posture with effective support aids. An angled footrest provides basal support for feet, while an ergonomic chair or lumbar cushion cradles and aligns your spine.
To relieve back pain and reestablish good posture, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) suggests performing a chair exercise. Sitting upright, with feet on the floor, slowly tuck your chin. With rounded shoulders, bend at the waist and gently drop your head between your knees; hold and repeat.
Sleeping
If you wake up with a sore neck or back pain, your sleeping position may need adjustment or support. The Cleveland Clinic discourages sleeping on your stomach, a poor posture that stresses spinal vertebrae and muscles. If you sleep on your back, tuck a pillow under your knees to accommodate your lumbar curve. If you're a side sleeper, place a pillow between your knees to relieve pelvic pressure on your lower back.
For your neck, an orthopedic pillow that is thick enough to keep your head level with your shoulders will aid proper alignment. The National Sleep Foundation notes that a supportive mattress and pillow is crucial to good posture and restful sleep. Instead of being firm and unyielding, your mattress should conform to you.
Standing
Abdominal exercises can promote good posture if you roll your shoulders excessively forward (kyphosis) or pin them back (lordosis). The American Physical Therapy Association suggests working your abs while seated or standing. Sit erect and pull your abdomen up and in, toward the back of the chair; hold and repeat. Stand against a wall, tuck your chin and pull your head and abdomen back toward the wall; hold and repeat.
If your standing posture is misaligned due to a bone disease or deformity, attention to your feet and pelvic postures may compensate and correct it. The ACA notes that supportive athletic shoes or custom orthotics (shoe inserts) can remedy posture problems caused by abnormal foot angles or unequal leg length.
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