Posture Is Important, BUT WHY?
Posture Is Important, BUT WHY?
We’ve all been told since we were children “sit up straight, don’t slouch”. To which we would roll
our eyes and swear our parents didn’t know anything. And I don’t think I need to tell you that
our parents were right.
I’d like to say that over the course of time we are becoming more aware of our posture, but it
seems the opposite is happening. With technology at the forefront of our lives, society has
become dependent on tablets, smartphones and computers.
And what does this mean for our posture? It means there’s no hope for any of us to sit up
straight and not slouch.
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re most likely sitting at a computer or on your phone and I’ll
bet you just adjusted your posture…There’s been an epidemic taking over our nation…”Text
neck”. This is the term used to describe an increased forward head position or looking down
which is largely due to the increased use of smart devices.
This increase of forward head position increases the amount of weight on the cervical spine. In
a neutral position, the head weighs about 12 pounds, if you tilt your head forward just 15 degs,
the amount of pressure through the neck more than doubles to 27lbs. And if you bend your
head forward 60 degs (which is probably the most common position for using our phones) the
amount of pressure through your neck increases to 60lbs.
So I know this might be hard for you to imagine…but 60lbs is 5x the amount our cervical spine is
designed for…that’s equivalent to about 4 average bowling balls or half an octopus…did that
help?
What does this mean and why should we care? With our heads in this position we are
essentially reversing the normal curve of our spines leading to increased neck pain, HA, upper
back pain and can even affect our lower back.
What can we do?
Hold our phone/tablets at eye level: tuck your elbows in to your sides like so and keep the
screen at an angle in which you can see it without having to bend your head
GET UP! Don’t sit for more than 20-30 mins, even you if you just stand to stretch or take a lap
around your office, when you sit back down you will be more mindful of your posture
Come visit Mana Physical Therapy. Physical therapy can help you to improve your posture by
working to improve ROM, joint mobility and alleviate pain. Additionally we can help to
strengthen the postural muscles which help to support the head and neck. Our bodies are great
compensators and will take the path of least resistance, retraining your posture is not easy and can often times feel uncomfortable, but in the long run you’re protecting your muscles, joints and
improving your overall health.
If you have any further questions regarding posture or any other aches and pains please call to schedule your appointment at MANA PHYSICAL THERAPY (732) 390-8100.