Sit up straight, Paul

[ciphergoth]

How long do I have to sit up straight rather than slouching at my desk before it stops being horribly painful and uncomfortable? ruis? Anyone?

Comments

[barakta]

When i went for physio last year (for shoulders) they looked at my whole posture. It seems I have a very deep curve of the lower spine,(curving from back to the front) which they were concerned about. It seems I have a natually deep curve, but nothing actually medically wrong - it just took them a while to realise I'm just weird :)

They say they get as many people with overcompensating posture problems as they got with slouching problems. There is this misperception about good posture being a ramrod straight spine or whatever, wheras they suspect everyone's correct posture is different depending upon skeletal structure etc.

With me they said it is about acheiving balance between shoulders, spine trunk, apparently one should be able to stand against a wall and roll ones hips thus straightening one's spine, I can't quite do this, but learning some pelvic loosening exercises have really helped and they do ease some of the general posture stuff.

Another thought is to get one of those inflatable gym ball things (if you can get one big enough for your height - I cannot remember how tall you are) and do various of the published exercises on that. I have one (too small) and it is very comfy, it does make me sit in a better position.

I would have to add the thought that seeing an osteopath or chiropractor would probably be wise as it is hard to know what is right and what is wrong. My physios found that once I knew what was wrong with my posture I corrected it very quickly - Even if I do slip occaionally I know how to untense it all quite well.

I would say if it was horribly painful it is wrong for you, it used to be horribly painful for me but since physio my correction in posture is at worst occasioanally achey from unused muscles having to do work.

I hope that helps in some way.

Natalya