Many back problems ultimately start with poor posture or an over-use situation. A example would be sitting at your desk “slouched”.If you work at your desk for long hours, it’s tempting to flop into a comfy, slouched position as you sit, perched on your tailbone with your back rounded. It may seem like you’re not hurting yourself but wait there are consequences.
Recent studies show that prolonged sitting—particularly the slouched desk posture we often slump into—may actually contribute to low back pain and chronic back problems.
When we slouch back into a hunched desk posture, we reverse the lumbar curve, putting increased pressure on the intervertebral discs, and increasing our chance of injury even further. The rounded shoulders and forward head posture don’t help either.
The effects of poor posture can lead to:
Poor circulation
This lack of blood supply can cause degeneration of the intervertebral disc and eventually cause you to experience bouts of back pain.
Chronic Pain
Poor desk posture can cause pain not only in the back but also in the neck (stiffness) and shoulders. It also puts you at a higher risk of developing problems like headache and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. The chronic pain may make you reliant on over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. When you are in a neutral position, you are not putting any pressure on the area and will not feel the discomfort associated with bad posture.
Once the aches and pains begin, you’re sitting posture may have wider implications. It can be hard to concentrate, get motivated and creative when distracted by aching muscles.
Is it as easy to just decide to sit up straight? In reality, it isn’t for example you can’t lose weight without exercise or dieting if you don’t do the latter you won’t lose weight or have lasting changes.
What to do? It should be all about re-developing the balance between the muscles affected by your slouch. Stretch and massage the tight ones and strengthen the weak ones. It has to be specific.
