POSTURE AND BACK PAIN

DOES BAD POSTURE CONTRIBUTE TO BACK PAIN

When surfing the internet to understand the causes of back pain the first likely thing you are going to come across is "posture". Thousands of websites and articles all talking about your body's posture when you sit, stand or even when you are lying down exhausted and just trying to get a good nights rest.

Yes! posture most certainly plays one of the biggest roles in both neck and back injuries, but unfortunately it is not the only factor that causes back pain. almost all individuals suffering from back pain injuries will have a certain level of postural dysfunction and telling an individual to sit straight will not solve the problem. Let us take a small journey to further understand posture and how it may leads to back pain. 

The simplest definition for the word posture is basically the position of the human body either in standing or sitting. Posture is based on several factors involving the head, shoulders, upper back, lower back and hip position. the above mentioned factors respectively have major influences on the posture of the human body.

Figure 1 (Types of Postures)

WHAT IS IDEAL POSTURE

To have a better understanding of Ideal posture kindly refer to Figure 1 on the far left side labeled 'IDEAL'. comparing this image with the remaining four concentrate on the vertical line that runs through the body, this line is called the vertical center of gravity line which is a virtual line used by all qualified clinicians and physiotherapists to help assess a patient's posture. As seen clearly in the first figure the virtual line shows that the above mentioned structures are all in line with the center of gravity passing through the center of the body.

Why be within the center of gravity. The reason is that all objects are at its most stable form when being within the center of gravity. This allows most of the muscles of the body to stay in a relaxed state, Unlike the other 4 images. Once the human body begins to sway away from the center of gravity certain muscle groups begin to activate and the reason for that is VERY SIMPLE. Your muscles are simply counteracting the force of gravity to stop you from falling over, but unfortunately over time this automatic mechanism causes unnecessary added stress on certain muscle groups leading to muscle fatigue, weakness and tightness. 

We have understood the fact that posture is a main contributor to back pain and in a brief paragraph how it does so, but the big question here is 'What causes bad posture?' and 'How do we treat bad posture?'. 

Most postural dysfunctions arise from a combination of previous injuries and environmental factors but the good news here is that almost all of these factors are treatable under conservative (non-surgical) management. In most cases poor posture occurs due to:

1. History of accidents, injuries and falls
2. incorrect sleeping posture
3. Obesity (overweight)
4. Weak muscles or muscle imbalances
5. Work related stress
6. Old sitting habits
7. Genetic Deformities

All Physiotherapy treatments come in stages. the initial stage is called the assessment stage, this stage is divided in to two main sections:

1.  Subjective: In this stage the therapist will take time to ask a set of question to further understand the patient's medical history and other complaints directly or indirectly related to the current condition
2. Objective: In this stage the therapist will take a hands on approach applying several techniques and special tests to both locate the affected area and rule out any possible injuries.

The above mentioned is a vital key of any treatment approach and without sufficient information an adequate treatment plan that most suits the patient will not be met. The next phase will be the treatment plan. upon completing the assessment the therapist will have the sufficient amount of information to begin a treatment plan which should comprise of short term goals and long term goals.

The treatment method will be a combination of several techniques involving stretching and strengthening certain muscle groups and postural correction followed by postural awareness to help the patient understand the correct form of posture. 

CONCLUSION

We have come to understand that posture plays one of the biggest roles in back pain due to the negative impact it has on the muscle groups, but the root cause of the pain can be from several factors and not just from bad sitting habits. IDEAL posture can be achieved by consulting a physiotherapist that will conduct a thorough assessment and provide the patient with awareness and specific exercises.