Posture Power!

As most of us have transitioned to a work-from-home model, we are now exposed to new forms of physical and mental stress. It’s extremely important to keep our and our children’s health in mind during this time, especially regarding any bodily pain or dysfunction. With most work occurring in front of a computer screen, it is imperative that we focus on our posture while in seated positions for long periods of time.

Some may ask, “Well what is good posture anyway?” Good posture is defined as “optimal alignment of the human body.” When in good posture, your body uses the least amount of energy to perform any specific task. This is good! We don’t want our bodies to overexert themselves to perform easy movements. The most common posture “problem” associated with sitting and working in front of the computer for extended periods of time, is what is known as increased kyphosis and forward head.

This picture highlights the difference between poor posture and optimal posture in a seated position. The forward head posture position shown on the left, can cause what is called “tired neck syndrome.” This is due to the muscles on the back of your neck becoming fatigued in trying to hold your body in a position that it is not meant to be in. When in optimal positioning, our neck muscles are holding up 10-12 lbs., which is the approximate weight of our head; skull, brain and all. However, when our neck is bent in that forward position, our neck muscles are under immense tension. So much tension, that your muscles are exerting the amount of effort needed to hold up 60lbs! That’s a whole lot of muscle strain.

As you can imagine, this muscular stress eventually takes its toll on you, usually in the form of headaches, dizziness, and pain. However, there is no need to worry. Preventing this pain comes with a relatively easy fix. To minimize “tired neck syndrome” in you or your child, simply set a timer for every 30 minutes. This will alert you to take note of your current positioning, readjust if necessary, or stand up and move around.

If you’re looking for additional exercises to help support proper posture, please visit my blog post titled, “Posture Exercises” There, you will find how-to videos of other useful strategies to support optimal posture alignment. Try these out and let me know how they are working for you!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you found this post helpful and learned something new about the importance of proper posture. My goal is to help you navigate through this new normal as pain free as possible! Questions? Send me an email: nesemplare@achieve-physicaltherapy.com

Take care and be well,

Dr. Nick Esemplare

**Disclaimer**

This post is for educational purposes only. This is not intended to substitute for medical or physical therapy advice.