Poor Posture and Back Pain
- Posted on: Apr 1 2016
Dr. Jeff J. Mollins, has been providing health care to the residents of Brooklyn and the surrounding boroughs for well over 25 years. Dr. Mollins is well aware how poor posture can affect the human spine and cause both short and long time detrimental effects. The majority of patients that sustain back pain (back injury) as a result of poor posture are typically workers that stand or sit for long periods of time and particularly if these workers are performing repetitive motions as well. An example of a repetitive motion would be a person working on a computer, performing the same duties day in and day out. These people are prone to back pain which can potentially have lasting complications.
Do you slouch while you work at your desk or walk with a hunched back? Well the way you carry yourself, that is your posture has a 
dramatic effect on your health. When you intentionally or unintentionally repeat poor posture every day, your body’s structure slowly changes and adapts to it, resulting in misalignment and pain. The following are some tips to improve poor posture (thus prevent back pain).
- Stand and walk with correct posture-While standing and walking, among other things, it’s important to keep your head level and not too far forward, feet slightly apart with your weight towards the balls of the feet, and to avoid locking the knees.
- Sit with support-A common mistake that people who sit for long periods is the “office chair hunch,” a posture adopted by many computer users where they sit at the front of their office chair and hunch forward leaning in toward their computer screen. The correct posture actually requires sitting back in the chair and utilizing the chair’s back support.
- Lift and carry carefully-Improper lifting or carrying, especially lifting while twisting, can cause injury to muscles, joints, and/or discs. One of the most important tips is to bend at the hips and push the chest out forward. This will keep the back straight, causing the knees to bend and allow the muscles of the legs and hips to produce the power for lifting.
- Keep moving-Maintaining a static position for too long (more than 30 minutes) is hard on the back. Prolonged static posture can slowly deplete elasticity from the tissues. By simply moving, the tissue elasticity needed to protect your joints can be restored and the associated discomfort reduced.
Remember, if you sustain an injury at work due to improper lifting or simply due to sustained sitting and/or standing (this can be considered a repetitive stress injury) even if it is due to poor posture, it is still often considered a workers compensation injury. Immediately, report this injury to your employer and see Dr. Mollins immediately. Dr. Mollins (who is a certified workers compensation Dr.), can treat your injury carefully, concisely, effectively, and at no cost to you.
Posted in: Back Pain Treatment, Blog
