Did you know that for every inch your head moves forward in posture, its weight on your neck and upper back muscles increases by 10 pounds? For example, a human head weighing 10 pounds held forward only 3 inches from the shoulders results in 40 pounds of pressure on the neck and upper back muscles. That’s the equivalent of 4 gallons of paint resting on your neck and back!
Posture is essentially the position of the body in space, the relationship of the body parts; head, trunk, and limbs to each other. We are all aware of faulty posture in the people we meet or members of our family and even within ourselves.
Maintaining the natural lumbar curve in your low back is essential to preventing posture-related back pain. This natural curve works as a shock absorber, helping to distribute weight along the length of your spine. Adjusting postural distortions can help stop back pain.
Due to the variety of body types, incorrect posture differs from person to person and is constantly changing. We commonly observe people with “poor” posture who are pain-free and other people with “good” posture who have pain. The type of activities performed by people varies widely, resulting in different stress demands on tissues of the body. There is no one ideal posture that exists for all people because tissues will adapt to meet the unique stress demands of each person. Injury occurs when tissues are unable to adapt to meet the demands of a given posture or task.
Poor posture can stem from many sources; one of the most significant sources deals with repetitive motion or bad habits without frequent breaks. A basic remedy to sitting all day is to simply get up and move! Frequently getting up from a seated position and doing some quick and easy realignment exercises (see below) can help you reeducate your muscles from getting stuck in a hunched over cave man position.
The key to fixing poor posture is strengthening and stretching the muscles in the upper back, chest, and core.