When it comes to spinal health, posture is king

Unless you are constantly changing your position throughout the day, you are likely to settle in to some kind of posture that is putting undue pressure on some part of the body. Because “proper posture” involves a lot of positioning of the upper body, slumping and slouching causes a lot of the problems to filter down to the lower back, which is responsible for bearing the weight of the upper body. Read on to find out how you can make “good posture,” second nature. 

Become a posture professional

• Listen to your body: don’t ignore twinges of pain or signals of tightness. If possible, stand up and walk for a couple minutes to relieve and reset.
• Use pillows: even a rolled up jacket will work for supporting the lumbar region and maintaining proper curvature. A travel neck pillow can be used so that when you feel it touching your ears you know your shoulders are tensed and creeping upwards. 
• Keep ears aligned with shoulders: maintaining awareness of this position and resetting every so often will prevent your chin from keeping forward toward the screen and destabilizing the spine.
• Don’t cross your legs: keep balls of the feet on the ground, hip-width apart and knees at 90 degrees or slightly higher. 

An ally in your quest for better posture

A lot of spinal dysfunction and general back pain is caused by lack of awareness of posture and improper use of body mechanics. Chiropractic is about teaching (often helping you to relearn) how to keep your body working harmoniously. Standing and sitting are the two most common postures we are going to assume during a working week so it is important to know exactly how to sit and stand and to be aware of the accumulation of tension that will naturally occur.