Posture and Pain at Work
Have you had those days when you have been hunched over at your computer all day for work and start to notice a headache? Or, perhaps you’ve had neck pain that extends between your shoulder blades? Why is having good posture so important? What exactly does this look like?
Lower back pain is one of leading healthcare costs world wide, and many other people suffer from mid back or neck pain. One of the key elements that physical therapists will tune into is an individual’s posture, as this can be a contributing factor to your pain and decreased function. Posturing exercises are just some of the exercises that you may be performing in PT. However, even if you don’t need any physical therapy, it is important to keep good posture so you don’t develop any physical symptoms.
Posture and the Lumbar Spine
When addressing an individual’s posture, we need to focus on 3 areas of the vertebral column. The cervical spine, thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine. We need to build a good foundation from the base up, and the easiest place to start is with the lumbar spine. Often times sitting in a chair will cause a person to have a posterior pelvic tilt. This, in turns, causes the lumbar spine to flex forward. By teaching you the correct anterior tilt, we put the lumbar spine in its more natural lordotic position.
The Thoracic Spine
Now for the thoracic spine, we will often have our shoulder blades protracted (rounded forward) and thoracic spine flexed. In other words, increased kyphosis. This puts the muscles in our back on constant stretch. Even though it doesn’t feel like a traditional stretch, these muscles are getting lengthened all day long. In order to correct this, think about pinching a quarter blade between your shoulders. The key is to squeeze together and DOWN, not together and up. Elevating your shoulders will likely cause further tension/stress in your shoulders and neck.
Posture and the Cervical Spine
Lastly, we have the cervical spine. Usually, people are flexing their lower cervical spine and extending their upper cervical spine. We call this forward head posturing. To correct this, we perform a chin tuck. This is similar to trying to make a double chin in a goofy photo. By performing this action, we create extension in the lower cervical spine and flexion in the upper cervical spine.
Be sure to talk with your physical therapist about correct posturing. Each person is unique and needs their own individual exercise program. Additionally, it would be beneficial to review your workplace environment and make necessary changes. To help you get started, check out our Computer Workstation Setup Guidelines.
References
Kim LH, Vail D, Azad TD, et al. Expenditures and Health Care Utilization Among Adults With Newly Diagnosed Low Back and Lower Extremity Pain. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(5):e193676. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.3676
Mahmoud, N. F., Hassan, K. A., Abdelmajeed, S. F., Moustafa, I. M., & Silva, A. G. (2019). The Relationship Between Forward Head Posture and Neck Pain: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 12(4), 562–577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-019-09594-y
Schünke Michael, Schulte, E., & Schumacher, U. (2011). In Thieme Atlas of anatomy (Second, pp. 2–35). essay, Thieme.