What is the BEST posture?

Here's the thing, human beings were designed for movement.  Hunting, gathering, surviving and they certainly weren't designed to sit for prolonged periods.  I'll go out on a limb here and say that anyone not pulling their weight back in prehistoric times was probably 'voted off the island' pretty fast!

So 'normal' posture should ideally consist of numerous different positions and it is crucial for individuals who are sit for prolonged periods to move and stand frequently throughout the day.  With that said it is generally accepted that good posture helps reduce back pain and there is no time when that is more true than when you are experiencing back pain.

Back Pain: When 'Perfect Posture' Counts
Many people who are experiencing back pain feel less pain when lying down flat on their back... often on the floor. The reason that this is the case is that when lying on the floor the spine is naturally placed in a 'good posture'.  Essentially the head, cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral regions of the skeleton are placed in an ideal alignment. Many times people will often feel a complete absence of symptoms in this position, particularly when the knees are bent and the legs are elevated in a 90/90 rest position (see image above).  The magic of this position is that the spinal joints, discs and other soft tissues have the least amount of stress and or pressure placed on them like this.

Back Pain Function: Getting Upright
Going from the 90/90 rest position to sitting or standing without worsening back pain can be problematic for many back pain sufferers.  The problem is that a great deal of muscular control, strength, stability and balance of the core musculature is required to stabilize the spine in the same happy position that was found while lying on the floor.  This is where a physical therapist or a product like the Posture Belt by ActiveOrtho can help.

Developing improved posture that will result in back pain relief and prevent future episodes of back pain takes time and effort.  Do the work now!  Get on the right program today so you too can be back pain-free with better posture!