If you’re like most people, you have had someone tell you to sit or stand up straight, probably during your teenage years. At the time, the demand was probably annoying and one you did your best to ignore. But it turns out that good posture is important for more than just looking confident and respectable. Sitting and standing with good spinal alignment can help prevent and treat back pain.
These five benefits of postural training help treat and prevent back pain
Your spine is designed to operate in a certain way. When you move, sit and stand in ways that disrupt the correct operation of your spine, you can create problems over time. Teaching you how to practice good posture is one way that a physical therapist can help treat and prevent back pain.
Some of the benefits postural training can offer that help with back pain are:
- Avoiding negative anatomical changes — The ways that you use your spine can actually cause changes in your anatomy. The stress caused by sitting hunched over can eventually lead to damage of your:
- Spinal discs
- Back muscles
- Facet joints
- Nerves and blood vessels traveling through your spine
Many times the damage can be reversed, though, if you engage in targeted physical therapy and learn to sit and stand correctly from your physical therapist.
- Promoting good circulation — When you maintain proper spinal alignment, your veins are not constricted by the press of your vertebrae. The tissue of your spine requires good circulation to operate correctly and to recover from damage. Your physical therapist can guide you through therapeutic exercises intended to help with posture. In turn, you can get better at keeping the alignment required for optimal circulation.
- Increasing strength and flexibility — If it has been a while since you have regularly had good posture, chances are that trying to maintain such posture over a long period will be difficult. Physical therapy can help you gain the strength and flexibility necessary to keep the ideal posture. The stronger and more flexible you get, the less likely you are to suffer from back pain on a regular basis.
- Improving posture during mobile activities — Most people think of posture in static positions, like sitting at a desk or standing for a period of time; however, good posture is important in everything we do. Your physical therapist can instruct you on how to maintain good posture during all your favorite activities, such as running, playing sports and walking. The improved posture you adopt in each activity will lessen the wear and tear you put on your spine, which minimizes the risk of developing back pain from these activities.
- Preventing back pain caused by improper lifting — Good posture is a vital component of lifting objects without injury. When you lift and fail to use good posture, there is a much greater chance that you will wind up hurting your back. Ask your physical therapist about proper lifting posture. They can show you how to lift correctly and guide you through some exercises to clarify the right posture.
Find help treating and preventing back pain at Peak Performance
Looking to treat back pain or prevent it from returning? Our therapy specialists at Peak Performance are ready to help you meet your goals. We offer free screenings to reveal the source of your back pain. Our team can then build you a personalized therapy plan designed to reduce your back pain and prevent it from coming back.
Can’t make it into one of our therapy clinics for help? That’s OK! Our physical therapists can meet with you in a virtual therapy session right from your own home. Even better, you don’t have to get a doctor’s referral before you begin using our therapy services.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help with your back pain or to schedule your initial appointment.
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