Are you wondering how can poor posture result in back pain when sitting? You may not think about it, but sitting in the wrong chair can have a direct impact on your health and back problems.
If you are frequently seated in a reclined position, you increase the odds of having back pain when sitting. Suppose your back is constantly kept in a bad posture. In that case, you increase the chances of developing weak discs and intervertebral discs that can cause pain and even force you to have limitations.
How can poor posture result in back pain?
Back pain plagues more than 31 million Americans each year. Back pain is caused in various ways, such as arthritis, pregnancy, and car accidents. But the single most common cause of lower back pain is poor posture.
Most people sit incorrectly, using their shoulders and neck to carry their weight. A bulge or strain in the spine may occur, causing inflammation and pain in the back. Many people think that sitting in a bad posture is harmless.
However, prolonged or chronic slouching can weaken the muscles and joints that support the spine, making aches and pains easier.
So what can you do to help avoid or cure back pain?
- First, practice good posture – keeping your shoulders squared with your legs and maintaining proper head/hips alignment.
- Second, stretch regularly and get regular exercise, particularly lifting your arms above your head and keeping your elbows and knees straight.
Common causes of back pain due to poor posture
If you have recently been experiencing back pain and wondering how can poor posture result in back pain, then I am sure that you have gone to see your doctor, and most likely, he prescribed pain relievers. It is possible to change your posture naturally by doing exercises like Yoga and Tai Chi.
Most people do not spend enough time focusing on their posture. It is probably why most of the population suffers from poor posture daily.
There are numerous causes for poor postures which shows how can poor posture result in back pain quizlet, such as sitting at a desk for long hours or even just standing with bad back problems.
- Sitting for long hours
- Leaning on one leg
- Phone texting posture
- Slouching while sitting
What kind of pain does poor posture cause?
The pain you experience when your back is positioned improperly isn’t due to any broken bones or ligaments that are injured somehow. It is because your spine is not aligned correctly, and the muscles that help keep your spine aligned are being used in a fashion that puts stress on them.
If your spine is aligned correctly, then the muscles that move your spine will not have to work as hard, and they will be able to relax. It means that you will not feel the same kind of pain when you have poor posture.
Of course, it helps to understand what kind of pain does poor posture cause. If you keep your posture correct, then there shouldn’t be that much pain involved at all. It would help if you started maintaining good posture, and this involves keeping your back straight and not tilting your neck or your head forward.
Your neck and back are the most used muscles when sitting, standing, and walking. Poor posture causes you to work those muscles hard, and it leads to pain. Learn how to keep your posture right so that you will have no back problems.
How to fix bad posture: 7 simple tips to follow
1. Sit up straight
Your muscles are not designed to hunch when you sit down. Your muscles should move up and down in a natural motion when you bend to pick up something or write with a pen.
When you slouch, your muscles pull your spine into an unnatural position that places undue pressure on the spine and can lead to backaches, sciatica, and lower back pain. To improve your posture, learn to stand up tall with a good posture. Hold your shoulders with your arms hanging by your sides.
2. Stretch Properly
Many people don’t get enough regular physical activity. It would help if you stretched your muscles to keep them healthy and strong. Stretching helps to keep muscles flexible.
For example, when sitting, you need to contract your abdominal muscles to lift your pelvis to see the ceiling. If you aren’t stretching your muscles, you will develop bad posture habits that can lead to back pain when sitting.
3. Strengthen Your Back
If you aren’t exercising regularly, your body isn’t strong enough to support your weight.
When you lift something, your body compensates by putting more weight on your back.
4. Use Seat Bridges
While this trick may look funny, it does have a solution. Many people use seat bridges to try to fix their bad posture. If you sit for long periods, your spine can be compressed and cause back pain.
When you lie down to sleep, your spine relaxes, but sometimes it overcompensates and causes pain. To avoid this, use a chair that can be adjusted so that you can lie or sit in a variety of positions.
5. Use Mattress Pads
A mattress pad can help to reduce pressure on your spine while you sleep. A foam mattress pad can provide the necessary support that you need to prevent back pain.
Before purchasing any mattress pad, check with a doctor to ensure that you are allergic to the mattress pad’s material.
6. Strengthen Muscles
Sometimes sitting is not enough to prevent problems. The easiest way to reinforce your muscles is to do light cardio exercises.
It will increase blood circulation in your body. Proper blood circulation is necessary for pain-causing muscles to become stronger and more resilient.
7. Strengthen Your Buttocks
One of the primary reasons for lower back pain is a strain in the lower back. It is crucial to strengthen the muscles of the buttocks to protect the discs of the spine.
It is vital to perform squats and deadlifts. Not only do these exercises improve your legs, but they strengthen your buttocks as well. By boosting your buttocks, you will be reducing the risk of straining your back.
Can poor posture cause low back pain?
The most apparent reason for low backache is poor posture. How we sit, stand, walk and even sleep has a significant impact on our spine and lower back. If bad posture is present, this will directly result in lower back pain.
How To Prevent It
It is essential to have a proper desk position while working on the computer for better concentration and efficiency.
Desk ergonomics aims to maximize the work performed at the computer table by providing the user with a comfortable yet ergonomic chair and desk placement.
A good posture starts from sitting on a chair properly, maintaining the correct stance throughout the working day.
A good posture also involves using proper lumbar muscles for better blood circulation and oxygen intake.
Good Lifting Techniques
It is highly recommended that people start standing up straight when lifting weights. You should start slowly and progress your lifting sessions over time.
You can try to get into several standing lifts. Still, it would help if you always strived to keep them light and simple to avoid unnecessary pain or injury.
How does poor posture affect the muscular and skeletal systems?
Since the musculoskeletal system of our body is responsible for keeping us upright, it can be beneficial if we have a good posture. But how does poor posture affect the spinal, muscular, and skeletal systems?
In the spine, where the neck and the thoracic spine meet at the base of the skull, the muscles and the bones work in unison to allow us to remain standing upright. Because of this close relationship between the spinal, muscular, and skeletal systems, the consequences can be pretty extreme when any trauma, such as injury.
One way to better understand how poor posture affects the muscular and skeletal systems is through the Spine Rebound Exercise (SRE). Dr. Robert McKenzie developed this exercise program. The military first used it in the ’80s to help improve soldiers’ strength, flexibility, and endurance after combat.
The SRE involves strengthening each of the major muscles in your mid-back, upper and lower back, chest, triceps, biceps, and forearms, as well as abdominal muscles. It can help prevent further injury and strengthen weak muscles, preventing them from becoming injured again.
My Final Thoughts
It is not to say that you cannot take care of your spinal muscular system using conventional medicine. There are plenty of medications out there that can be very effective when it comes to relieving pain.
But sometimes, even medication will not do the trick, and physical therapists or chiropractors can provide a much safer and gentler alternative to conventional pain management.
With regular treatment, you can strengthen your spinal muscular system to align with your bones and body appropriately. Proper exercise can help you live a longer, more productive life, even with minor pain.
With this, I hope now you have learned how can poor posture result in back pain edgenuity and how to fix those problems.
