Slouching would do you no good; doctors talk about bad posture repercussions

New Delhi: Maintaining proper posture is essential for general health, particularly spine health. The cervical spine maintains the head’s weight and provides a range of motion. Poor posture can cause a variety of issues, including cervical spine discomfort. In this thorough guide, we will look at how posture affects cervical spine health, the diseases that might arise, and effective preventative and treatment measures. Posture is the alignment of the body whether standing, sitting, or lying down. Good posture is educating your body to stand, walk, sit, and lay in postures that put the least pressure on supporting muscles and ligaments. In contrast, poor posture can cause cervical spine disorders.

Dr Deepak Kumar Mishra, Director & Head – Orthopaedics, Asian Hospital, Faridabad, listed the many negative effects of a poor posture on the cervical spine.

How Poor Posture Has Negative Effect on Cervical Spine

1. Increased Stress: Slouching or forward head position puts additional strain on the cervical spine.
2. Muscular Imbalance: Poor posture can induce muscular imbalances, resulting in both overworked and underworked muscles.
3. Cervical discs: Chronic bad posture might lead to rapid deterioration of the cervical discs.
4. Nerve Compression: Misalignment can result in nerve compression, which causes pain and discomfort.

Poor posture and Common Problems of Cervical Spine

“Poor posture can have long-lasting problems on your spine health. Degeneration of the cervical spine’s spine discs and joints known as cervical spondylosis may present as neck pain, stiffness, and headaches, cervical radiculopathy is when there is compression of a nerve root in the cervical spine. This condition presents as pain radiating from the neck to the arms and hands, weakness,” said Dr Mishra.

Another problem is when there is compression of the spinal cord itself known as cervical myelopathy. Symptoms of cervical myelopathy include numbness, coordination problems, difficulty walking, and weakness in the arms or legs, he added.

Dr Pramod Lokhande, Consultant – Spine Surgeon & Endoscopic Spine Specialist, Jupiter Hospital, Pune, shared some tips to correct the posture.

Effective Strategies for Posture Correction

1. Remember to maintain a proper posture at all times to maintain spine health. while working, ensure ergonomic adjustments of the workstation setup to ensure that your computer screen is at eye level and your chair supports the natural curve of your spine.
2. Make sure your chair has adjustable height and sufficient lumbar support so that you don’t stress your spine.
3. Exercise and stretching are essential for strengthening your spine. Engage in strengthening workouts that strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles.
4. To keep your neck and upper back flexible, stretch them regularly.

“Along with this, take regular pauses from sitting or standing in the same position. Check your posture throughout the day and adapt if required. To achieve the neutral spine position, lower your shoulders and push them backward, bring your head back, and activate your core muscles. Additionally, pull your belly button in toward your spine, as if you were zipping up a tight pair of pants. This will assist in activating the transverse abdominis muscle, which works as a corset around the spine,” said Dr Lokhande.

Use a low back (lumbar) support cushion as a reminder to sit straight in a chair and change positions every 30 to 60 minutes. Try not to sit in fixed postures for long hours at a stretch.