Everyone knows that slouching is “bad” and at some point in their life almost everyone has been told to sit up straight. But that does not keep the majority of people from slouching. Many don’t recognize the signs of muscle strain and tension brought on by bad posture, or even realize the damage that bad posture can cause to their bodies. Correct posture is an easy fix that can often help relieve pain in the back, neck and shoulders.
Posture is the position in which a person holds their body while walking, sitting, or otherwise working against gravity – in other words, when someone is upright. When a person’s posture is not correct, some muscles are forced to carry more weight than they are meant to. This leads to muscle strain. Other muscles are held in a relaxed position, weakening them. If this occurs for a prolonged period of time, the muscles may atrophy. Later when a person tries to hold correct posture, it may actually hurt as inactive muscles kick in.
A good example of this is what happens to a person’s upper back when they slouch. Bad posture can cause muscle pain and stiffness between the shoulder blades and around the back of the neck due to muscle strain. When a person slouches their head pulls forward, making it harder for the neck muscles to support the head. It also makes the space where the rotator cuff tendon passes through the shoulder joint narrower, and as such, may cause serious injury over time.
Proper posture involves sitting or standing in a way that puts the least stress on your muscles and ligaments as they hold the body up against gravity. Proper posture requires the back to be held straight and the shoulders to be pulled back slightly. When sitting, all three natural curves in the back should be visible while the back is straight against the back of the chair. Placing a rolled towel or a lumbar support in a chair can help a person make sure that their sitting posture is correct.
