The Painful Side Effects of Poor Posture

Neck and back pain can occur when we have poor posture at our desks, sitting on the couch, when driving, and more. If you have poor posture and you are experiencing chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain, postural therapy is here to help you. 

Understanding Poor Posture

Posture describes how we hold our bodies up. There are two kinds of posture as described by the US National Library of Medicine: 

1. Dynamic posture: which is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are: walking, running, or bending over to pick something up. 
2. Static posture: which is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are: standing, sitting, or sleeping. 

No matter which type of posture you’re discussing, it’s important that both are in good position at all times. They explain that the key to good posture is the position of your spine, which has three natural curves. These three curves are at the neck, mid back, and low back. Correct posture should only maintain these curves, not increase them. Your head should be directly above your shoulders, and your shoulders should line up over the hips. 

How Poor Posture Affects Your Health 

Poor posture can result in a number of ailments if bad enough. The US National Library of Medicine explains that slouching or slumping over can result in:

• Misaligning your musculoskeletal system
• Wearing away at the spine, making it more fragile and prone to injury
• Neck, shoulder, and back pain
• A decrease your flexibility 
• Negatively affecting how well your joints move
• Falling over more due to poor balance 
• Difficulty digesting food
• Having a harder time breathing 

Neck and Back Pain

Two of the most common health issues as the result of poor posture is pain in the neck and back. Neck pain can include many variations that could present itself with symptoms of:

• Burning sensations in the skin or muscles
• Cramping and twitching of the neck
• Muscle stiffness and loss of range of motion
• Tenderness to the touch
• Pain that increases when you move or try to stretch
• Cracking, popping, or rustling noises when you move your head and neck
• Glandular pain on either side of the neck 

Back pain is another occurrence that comes along with poor posture. Back pain irritation can take the form of many symptoms, such as:

• Inflammation centered in the lower back, neck, and mid-back
• Stiffness along the spine or in the muscles surrounding it
• Pops, cracks, and other noises or sensations when you move after resting
• Pain that is worse/better after resting
• Worsened or improved pain after exercise
• Spasms throughout the back that make it hard to stand, sit, or even lie down
• Numbness 

Risks of Poor Posture  

Along with the signs and symptoms mentioned above, there are many more risks that come along with not moving around with your body in proper alignment. Harvard Health lists posture-related problems that may surprise you to hear about: 

• Incontinence. When you slouch, you increase abdominal pressure. This can then place pressure on the bladder and decrease the ability of the pelvic floor muscles to hold against pressure. 
• Constipation. If you sit on the toilet hunched over with your knees lower than your hips, you increase your likelihood of experiencing constipation. This poor positioning can make it difficult for the abdominal muscles to help move things along. 
• Heartburn and slowed digestion. Slouched posture after a meal can trigger heartburn caused by acid reflux, which is when the stomach acid moves back up into the esophagus. This poor positioning can put pressure on the abdomen, and force stomach acid in the wrong direction. Further studies have also shown that transit in the intestines slows down when you slouch.

What is Postural Therapy? 

At Texas Spine and Sports Therapy, we can work to improve poor posture through postural therapy. Postural therapy is a treatment that uses the patient’s own body weight to correct the spine’s alignment and rebalance the body. This corrective treatment centers around the idea that our bodies have load-bearing joints that don’t function at their fullest potential when not properly aligned.

Improve Your Posture With Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center

If you have a bad habit of slouching and moving around slumped over, take the first step in correcting that today by contacting Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center. Located in Austin, Texas, we’re here to help you stand taller and feel better all the way around. For more information about what poor posture can do to your health and how we can help, come see us!