Three Ways To Improve Your Posture To Reduce Back Pain
Visiting a chiropractor to provide relief for your back pain can improve your quality of life in as little as one treatment. This health professional can transform the condition of your back over the course of a series of adjustments, but you can also help the cause by committing to ensuring that your posture is always in tip-top shape. Failing to maintain the proper posture, whether you're seated, standing or sleeping—can push your spine into an unnatural position that causes you pain. Here's how to address your posture to limit your discomfort.
Seated Posture
If you're the type of person who spends the bulk of your workday seated, it's imperative that you do so correctly to reduce your back pain. Part of adopting the proper seated posture includes ensuring that your chair is adequate. It should be adjustable for height, offer adjustable arm supports and a lumbar support knob. To sit in a neutral position that is healthy for your back, your knees should be bent at about 90 degrees and your back should be pressed against the chair's back support with the lumbar knob adjusted to provide stability for your low back. Raise or lower your armrests to allow your shoulders to relax and your arms to bend naturally. Avoid leaning your head forward; try to keep it directly in alignment with your spine.
Standing Posture
Whether you're riding the elevator up to your office or waiting in line at the supermarket, be vigilant about how you stand. The correct standing posture involves keeping your legs straight but not allowing your knees to lock, engaging your abdominal muscles slightly to hold your back in the correct position and rolling your shoulders back. Although each individual element of your standing posture is important, be particularly aware of your shoulders. When you allow them to slump forward, which is easy when you're fatigued, this movement will quickly pull your spine into an unnatural curve and can cause pain.
Sleeping Posture
The sleeping posture you adopt for the health of your back depends on how you enjoy sleeping. Although sleeping on your stomach is less than ideal due to the strain it creates, slide a pillow under your stomach if you need to sleep in this position. If you favor lying on your back, a pillow beneath your knees can reduce the pressure on your spine and ensure it maintains its natural curve. Finally, if you sleep on your side, keeping your knees stacked together and holding a pillow between them helps you avoid curving your spine unnaturally.
For more information—or for specific directions based on your condition—ask your chiropractor (like those at Irondequoit Chiropractic Center) what specific steps you should take.
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