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Posture correction

Akoto

Akoto

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
3,208
I came across this video that talks about "resetting" the computer. It talks a lot about different nerves, so I'm cautious to know if it's safe.

https://youtu.be/LT_dFRnmdGs

Also, do you guys have any other methods? I'm not desperate and my posture isn't chronically terrible, but it would be nice to stand up straight without having to think about it.
 
What's your posture like?

I have anterior pelvic tilt (leading to chronic low back pain) and my stomach looks distended despite me weighing 145 lbs. I'm working on strengthening my core and glutes while stretching my low back and hip flexors.
 
I've got double jointed shoulders which leads to a hunch back and burning sensations in and around my upper back.
 
The burning is inflammation.

I have scoliosis, but the curve is minor. If you have never done body work to correct your posture, then I suggest starting with massage therapy and chiropractic. While you see them, start going to the gym to do muscle strengthening in your back. If you don't know what to do, then consult a personal trainer for a couple of hours. Learn about stretching... you don't necessarily need to do yoga, but learn a series of stretches for your back but also everywhere else. Everything feeds into the back, especially the pelvis. So if your legs are tight, then your pelvis is tight, and then your back will be tight. I have found that the worst thing for my posture is sitting in chairs for a long time. When we sit in chairs, our pelvis tilts forward, which shortens the hamstrings (on the back of the legs) and lengthens the quads (on the front). Then when we stand up, our pelvis is stuck tiling forward, and our whole upper back tilts forward because of it.

So I have found that if I don't have time to do anything, the very, very basic thing I'll do is hamstring stretches and quad stretches.

Last year I started taking ballet classes because I always wanted to. It has been the best thing for my posture ever. My teacher recommended that in order to get functional posture alignment, flexibility, and strength that I should start doing pilates. I really hate exercises classes but I tried it, and now I can stand up straight naturally without having to try. Weight lifting never corrected my posture on its own because it's static movement. You really need dynamic movement to get everything strong in a moveable way.

The spine needs a combination of flexibility and strength in the right places in order to stand up straight, but if you have scar tissue or injury that's causing your back to hunch then you should get some kind of therapy to start with. My journey started with a really awesome chiropractor. He fixed 80% of the problem, and I have been doing my own work to get the rest of the way.
 
Akoto said:
I've got double jointed shoulders which leads to a hunch back and burning sensations in and around my upper back.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? If you have some form of joint hypermobility (which is what's usually implied by the misnomer 'double-jointed') then it's unlikely you'll ever be able to maintain a great posture without some thought unfortunately. Hypermobility can be exhausting to deal with.

However, carefully performed muscle-strengthening exercises should increase your physical tolerance, and the additional connective bulk from the extra muscle fibres can partially compensate for your loose tendons and joints.

If you are hypermobile, I'd be cautious about stretching - it can make things worse if not performed correctly as it's easy to stretch too far when you're hypermobile. Most people with hypermobility are actually trying to 'stiffen' up, rather than stretch out. You can attempt to assess yourself for hypermobility on the Beighton Scale, but you'd need to see a specialist for a proper diagnosis.
 
CFC said:
Are you sure?
Click to expand...

If I put my hands on my hips, I can touch my elbows together.

I've been doing lots of back exercises but none really help the position of my neck
 
I took ballet for 16 years growing up. My instructor was big on exercising your core muscles. Yoga, Pilates, even just sitting on one of those giant exercise balls and twisting and bending to strengthen the core. When standing make sure you bear most of your weight on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees slightly bent. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body. Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.Tuck your stomach in. When sitting in a chair sit straight with your back/shoulders flush against the back of the chair, both feet flat on the floor. Always remember to breath with your diaphragm and to tuck/suck those tummy muscles in.

My posture is fantastic. It's been over 25 years since I have even thought about this. It was ingrained In my head for so long it's just 2nd nature. In highschool a handful of girls and one guy used to make fun of me and accuse me of trying to draw attention to my (nonexistent) boobies, but really it was just great posture.

What's wrong with your neck?
 
I suffered from a really horrible back injury a few years ago and now I have to walk around with my face pointed to the sky whilst arching my back and it's really uncomfortable.
Honestly though, this might make me sound like a hack, but the best way for me to improve my posture is for me to do things that boost my self-esteem and give me confidence. When I feel good about myself, things like posture become way easier because they act as a sort of multiplier for whatever good vibes I'm already giving off. If I sleep on my back: that helps too.
 
Do you have insurance? Visit an orthopedic doctor for X-rays.
Some chiropractors take insurance, call around and find the ones that do.
 
Akoto said:
Just decades of bad posture. I even have a little lump to boot.
Click to expand...

Have you been to see a dr about your neck? I started having neck problems in my mid 20's. Pain, migraines and I if I was sleeping on my left side I would wake up because the right side of my head and neck would be asleep. My pcp sent me for xrays and it came back that 2 of the vertebrae in my neck were fused together, an injury commonly seen in untreated whiplash and alot of the time not having symptoms for years after the accident. I was in an accident when I was 19, we got hit from behind sitting at a redlight by a drunk driver. I didn't get treatment because I felt fine and didn't have insurance. My head falling asleep was because of a pinched nerve. My pcp said the pain was from my body over compensating for my injury. Sent me to a chiropractor and he had me worked out and feeling great in 3 months.
 
Having proper posture has a lot to do with confidence, self esteem, and life purpose.

If you would like to delve more deeply into the psychological aspect of your posture (and standing up straight) using the betterment of your psych, please PM me.
 
Fix your glutes dude. Squats, good mornings and deadlifts. Then add a daily yoga routine.
 
Last edited:
^agree. I found that lifting in general helped posture and back pain more than all other treatments combined.

Deadlifts and ab/oblique work especially. Modern living gives us extremely weak spine erectors and posterior chain in general
 
^I've been doing all sorts of rowing and pulling for about 6 months now. Seems to be helping.
 
Foreigner said:
The burning is inflammation.

I have scoliosis, but the curve is minor. If you have never done body work to correct your posture, then I suggest starting with massage therapy and chiropractic. While you see them, start going to the gym to do muscle strengthening in your back. If you don't know what to do, then consult a personal trainer for a couple of hours. Learn about stretching... you don't necessarily need to do yoga, but learn a series of stretches for your back but also everywhere else. Everything feeds into the back, especially the pelvis. So if your legs are tight, then your pelvis is tight, and then your back will be tight. I have found that the worst thing for my posture is sitting in chairs for a long time. When we sit in chairs, our pelvis tilts forward, which shortens the hamstrings (on the back of the legs) and lengthens the quads (on the front). Then when we stand up, our pelvis is stuck tiling forward, and our whole upper back tilts forward because of it.

So I have found that if I don't have time to do anything, the very, very basic thing I'll do is hamstring stretches and quad stretches.

Last year I started taking ballet classes because I always wanted to. It has been the best thing for my posture ever. My teacher recommended that in order to get functional posture alignment, flexibility, and strength that I should start doing pilates. I really hate exercises classes but I tried it, and now I can stand up straight naturally without having to try. Weight lifting never corrected posture on its own because it's static movement. You really need dynamic movement to get everything strong in a moveable way.

The spine needs a combination of flexibility and strength in the right places in order to stand up straight, but if you have scar tissue or injury that's causing your back to hunch then you should get some kind of therapy to start with. My journey started with a really awesome chiropractor. He fixed 80% of the problem, and I have been doing my own work to get the rest of the way.
Click to expand...

Most people suffer from back pain due to their longtime work on the computer. You must maintain a good posture while sitting on your chair and working on the computer. In this case, you can use an ergonomic chair which is better for a good posture. You should take a rest every alternating 1 hours during working on the computer. Do some exercise while taking rest. You must adjust your chair height, table height, adjust monitor & eye, etc, while working on the desk. You can use a posture correction belt which is good for correcting your posture. Thank you.
 
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