Some say well-being begins with your posture. Why? Because the 26 vertebrae that make up your spine support every move you make. And when you slump, your muscles and ligaments struggle to support your weight. Poor posture puts unnecessary stress on the rest of your body, which can lead to fatigue, chronic back pain, headaches and other ailments.
“Your spine should be an S-shape. The first curve is your cervical curve in your neck, then the thoracic curve, that curves outward, in your upper spine and the bottom lumbar curve in your lower back,” said Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor in Houston.
Unfortunately, modern life too often gets in the way of good posture -- this is, after all, the laptop era. But it’s not just craning down at a small screen that’s to blame. There are a number of common bad-posture causes -- but most can be fixed.
Your spine should be an S shape. The first curve is your cervical curve in your neck, then the thoracic curve, that curves outward, in your upper spine and the bottom lumbar curve in your lower back.
Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor in Houston.
You're Sitting at Your Desk All Day
Depending on your line of work, sitting at a desk all day is unavoidable. But your workstation can cause pain in your neck, lower back and shoulders if you're not sitting correctly. Slouching compresses your ribs and puts pressure on your neck and shoulders.
“A big mistake people make when they're sitting is to put all their weight on their tailbone,” says Patrice Winter, a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association.
The Fix: The Tripod. “Think of each of your feet as two legs of a tripod and your hips as the third leg,” said Winter. Make sure your weight is on your haunches, not your tailbone, and you should feel your weight distributed between the three “legs.” This takes the pressure off your spine as you sit.
Reading With Your Head Down
If your computer screen is too low or you spend the day looking down at documents, the strain on your neck can add up.
“You've got to support the cervical curve,” said Cordova.
Every inch your head projects forward puts an extra 10 pounds of pressure on your neck, leading to headaches and lower-back pain.
“You can't avoid your work, but you can adjust your computer monitor and give yourself breaks,” Cordova said. “The key is to have the best posture you can while you work and to balance your activities.”
The Fix: Make sure the center of your computer monitor is 6 inches below your gaze. And if you're often reading on paper or tablet or smartphone, bring the media up to you rather than craning to it. “You can also try a cervical pillow. If you're looking down all day, sometimes sleeping on a cervical pillow can balance that out,” Cordova said.
Carrying Too Much
Piling everything into your shoulder bag, purse or backpack can wreak havoc on your spine. An oversized purse packed to the max can lead to pain and uneven shoulders over time. A backpack that's too heavy can also put too much pressure on your back, making your muscles work too hard for too long.
“A backpack, at an appropriate weight, is better than a really heavy purse carried on one side. Over-the-shoulder bags stretch your nerves, stretch your muscles and cause serious pain,” said Winter.
The Fix: Always be aware of how much you are carrying. Your backpack shouldn't be more than 20 percent of your body weight. If your shoulder starts to hurt after 10 minutes of carrying your purse, it's probably too heavy. Switch to a backpack, lighten the load or separate your stuff into two bags. This way, you can carry one on each shoulder to balance it out, Winter said.
Hunched Over The Steering Wheel
Those cushy bucket seats may be comfortable, but they're not the best thing for your back. Anyone who's driven a long distance and then woken up sore the next day can attest to that. But even driving short distances with poor posture can affect the health of your spine.
You may also find that gripping the wheel at "10 and 2" causes you to lean forward, which knocks your lumbar spine -- the bottom curve -- out of alignment.
“Any time you sit, you've got to sit actively, with your core engaged and your spine in proper alignment,” Winter said.
The Fix: Make sure your seat is positioned so that you can comfortably reach the pedals while keeping your knees at the same level or slightly higher than your hips. This will keep you close enough to the steering wheel to force you to sit up straight. If you're still having trouble, purchase a lumbar support. And if you notice some slouching at 10 and 2, move your hands down until your arms are not so extended, Winter said.
Lifting With Your Back
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1 million workers suffer back injuries each year, and three out of four of these injuries occur while an employee was lifting something. Whether your work regularly requires lifting or you're just helping someone move this weekend, proper posture is a must to avoid an injury that can lead to lifelong pain.
The Fix: Never bend over to pick up something heavy. Instead, bend your knees with your back straight. Pull the object close to you, tighten your abs, crouch down at your knees and lift. If you have to put the object down on the ground, lower yourself with your knees.
Member Comments