Improving Your Posture to Keep Your Spine Healthy

Author: Dr Balraj Ougra

Bottom Line:

Posture is described as the position that your body maintains while standing, sitting, or lying down. Most experts would agree that "good" posture reduces the stress on your spine by balancing the load placed upon the muscles and ligaments that support it. 

Why it Matters:

Good posture is essential because it helps you keep your bones and joints in proper alignment. This helps reduce the wear and tear on your joints and can decrease the strain on the ligaments that support your spine. New research also indicates that maintaining a good or balanced posture can also help you use your muscles more efficiently and prevent fatigue.

 To prevent back pain, your best posture may be one of motion. If you sit in one position too long, small nerves will detect the pressure and send messages to your brain, indicating that you're uncomfortable which prompts you to move.  

 Researchers believe that these "uncomfortable" signals before pain is our body's way of telling us to move or change positions. One of the best strategies to reduce neck and low back pain associated with sitting is to use a standing desk.

• Good posture means keeping your spinal curves aligned and weight evenly distributed.

• Changing positions or using a standing desk can help you improve your posture and reduce your risk of neck and back pain.

• Standing desks have been shown to reduce back pain by over 30% compared to sitting at a desk. 

Next Steps:

One of the best ways to improve your posture is to not stay in a single position for too long. Changing your position throughout the day, using lumbar support when seated, and even using a standing desk, are all ways that you can reduce fatigue and pain.

Science Source(s):

 Back Health and Posture. Cleveland Clinic. 2020

Breaking up workplace sitting time with intermittent standing bouts improves fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort in overweight/obese office workers. Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2014

How Heavy is that Backpack?

How Heavy is that Backpack?

Author: Dr Balraj Ougra

Bottom Line:

Even though an iPad can store an entire library worth of books, most kids still trudge to and from school each day carrying an oversized and overweight backpack filled with heavy textbooks. While it may not seem like a big deal, recent studies have shown that carrying the weight of a typical backpack is one of the top reasons for kids to have back pain.

Why it Matters:

A vast majority of kids wear backpacks every day that weigh 6-7kg or more. That’s a heavy backpack! Over time, the stress of the load can result in back pain, a rounding of the shoulders and postural changes. The spinal compression caused by heavy backpacks often has kids leaning forward to compensate, which begins a vicious cycle of postural issues, compensation and pain.

·       Up to 30% of kids may suffer from back pain due to carrying a heavy backpack.

·       Limiting the total weight of the backpack to less than 10% of your child’s body weight is recommended.

·       Instruct your child to wear their backpack with both shoulder straps fit snugly, so the backpack isn’t carried below the waistline.

Next Steps:

 Kids typically choose their backpack based on what makes them look cool. We recommend taking a second look and making sure the straps are wide and padded, the size is appropriate (and not too big) and that it has compartments to help distribute the load. If your child has pain, numbness, or tingling, give us a call. We would be happy to help get them back on track!

Science Source:

Backpack weight and back pain reduction: effect of an intervention in adolescents. Paediatric Research 2018