POSTURE & PAIN: A false safeguard?
Postural obsession
For several decades and at present, many health-conscious people obsess over maintaining good posture. Good posture is typically recognised as being ‘straight’ and ‘upright’ and is viewed as guaranteed protection against episodes of neck, shoulder or back pain. Bad posture, on the other hand, is generally characterised by slouching’ and ‘slumping’ and is seen as likely predisposing a person to a myriad of pain. However, research has yet to demonstrate posture being implicated as a primary cause for pain. Perhaps, there are other contextual factors such as stress, sleep quality, physical activity history and occupational demands that may also contribute to the experience of pain.
Is straight and aligned the ultimate goal?
Sitting up straight, shoulders pulled back and chin tucked has always been reinforced as the benchmark for optimal health and pain prevention if you are disciplined enough to sustain it. However, trying to force yourself to adopt a ‘perfect’ posture will only produce rigidity and may do more harm than good. In fact, any sustained sitting or standing posture often results in fatigue, discomfort and pain, suggesting that ‘good’ posture can still be detrimental if uninterrupted for prolonged periods [1,2].
What is “good” posture
An ideal posture is one that is dynamic with emphasis on change and movement. Staying active, frequently altering your posture, and exploring novel ways of moving is a more reasonable goal to aim for. More movement – not adopting a particular position, but varied positions is certainly a great starting point towards good posture. Altogether, it is more important to understand that your next posture is your absolute best posture! It should be a posture where you are most relaxed, comfortable and relatively pain-free.
Strategies to Reduced Sedentary Posture
- Task substitution
- Alternate tasks to allow for different muscle groups or body parts to be activated
- Alternate between sitting and standing while completing tasks
- Task interruption
- Make sure breaks are taken often, particularly if undertaking the same activity for a prolonged period
- Interrupt or remind yourself to move (e.g., smartwatch timers, buzzers)
- Utilise short breaks to change position, stretch and offload muscle groups used during prolonged sedentary tasks
- Increase incidental exercise
- Use stairs where possible instead of lifts/elevators
- Use active methods for commuting (e.g., scooters, bike, walk)
- Take a walk or stand during meal/lunch breaks
References
- Claus, A. P., Hides, J. A., Moseley, G. L., & Hodges, P. W. (2009). Is ‘ideal’sitting posture real?: Measurement of spinal curves in four sitting postures. Manual therapy, 14(4), 404-408.
- Coenen, P., Gilson, N., Healy, G. N., Dunstan, D. W., & Straker, L. M. (2017). A qualitative review of existing national and international occupational safety and health policies relating to occupational sedentary behaviour. Applied ergonomics, 60, 320-333.