How to Improve Your Posture for Less Pain

Living with back pain or neck pain causes all your other stressors to look that much worse. It’s hard to handle the challenges of day-to-day life when you’re almost always feeling some degree of pain.

Back and neck pain are common issues for adults in the United States. And in many cases, posture problems are at the root of these pain complaints. 

Bad posture puts unneeded stress on your spine, back, and neck muscles. Improving your posture when sitting, standing, working, and relaxing helps to relieve your ongoing pain symptoms.

Dr. Beejal Y. Amin provides preventive back and neck care to new and existing patients in Hinsdale and Woodridge, Illinois. Talk to Dr. Amin about strategies to improve your posture to address your back or neck pain before the problem worsens and requires more invasive treatment interventions. You can get started with the following tips:

Posture improvement tip #1: Take a look at your surroundings

You can set yourself up for good posture by creating spine-friendly environments at work and home. Ensure your work setup is ergonomic so that you don’t crane your neck or stoop on the job and that your back is fully supported when lifting anything heavy.

While many of us go for a lazy slouch or sprawl when unwinding at home, it’s possible to rest more comfortably with better back and neck support. Updating your couch or reading chair for better spinal support can make a big difference.

Posture improvement tip #2: Straighten up your alignment

When you sit and stand with good posture, every part of your body experiences the correct gravitational force - no more, no less. So, to free your spine from harmful stress, you should be prepared to consider your spinal alignment a little more frequently.

Pay attention to your posture when you’re working, relaxing, waiting in line, or driving your car. Are you slouched over sideways? Is your head protruding too far forward, or is your spine too curved by hunching inward?

If you catch yourself with problem posture, take a minute and straighten up your alignment. You can check your spinal alignment by standing against a wall. The back of your head, upper back, and tailbone should all be evenly in contact with the wall. Adjust your posture until all three points are correctly aligned if needed.

Posture improvement tip #3: Stretch for muscle strengthening and release

In order to maintain good posture all the time, and not just when you remember to straighten up, you need to strengthen and retrain the muscles that support your spine. Talk to Dr. Amin about stretches and muscle-strengthening exercises to improve your posture.

Depending on the type of posture issues you commonly experience; you could benefit from stretches to release tight back, neck, or buttock muscles or exercises to strengthen your core muscles. Targeted stretches can help with neck alignment or overly rounded shoulders.

To put together your plan for improved posture and reduced back and neck pain, contact Dr. Amin online or over the phone today and schedule your initial consultation appointment.