| Posture is an important factor with back pain. Poor posture can start at an early age and may not have too much effect on a young flexible spine but continued through the teens and twenties may lead to wear and tear of the spine in later life.
‘Perfect posture’ is considered to be well balanced with a gentle ‘S’ curve. Deviations from this are those with an exaggerated lumbar angle such as the Back Pain ClinicBack Pain Clinic, Sway Back and Hollow Back Postures. These postures can cause increased strain to the muscles and ligaments especially in the Lumbar area of the spine.
The opposite of these is the Flat Back posture with little or no lumbar curve. This kind of posture is usually rather inflexible and stiff and does not absorb shock very well.
Ways to improve your posture:
• Remember that there is an invisible force (gravity) bearing down on us all the time we are upright and if we forget about it will we eventually bow down (literally!) under the effect of it.
• Keep your head high and shoulders back but don’t over-exaggerate this like a ‘Sergeant Major’ pose, it will create different strains and tensions. Try to correct yourself every time you become aware that you may be slumping or stooping (e.g. catching sight of yourself in a shop window!).
• When standing still in a queue, try not to shift your body weight from one leg to the other. Try to make sure you feel that both legs are carrying the weight equally. Don’t lock the knees back, which will sway the hips forward and exaggerate the lumbar curve. Try to keep a slight bend in the knees.
• If carrying shopping bags, carry equal weight with both hands.
• If carrying a handbag, make sure you are not carrying any unnecessary items which will add to its weight and try not to carry it over the same shoulder. Instead alternate from shoulder to shoulder or better still, wear it across the body so that the weight is distributed across the chest and back.
Getting up from the bed with acute Back Pain ClinicBack Pain Clinic can be difficult. Follow the suggested stages for rising from the bed:
• Roll onto the pain-free side with both legs towards the edge of the bed, raise onto one elbow.
• Push up with your arms to get to the sitting position while dropping your legs over the side of the bed.
• Sit for a moment and try to sit as upright as possible.
• Slide towards the edge of the bed. Place the feet firmly on the floor tucked in close to the bed, brace the back, edge well forwards and straighten the knees to stand. |
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