I have numerous spine health tips to share! I know a lot about posture because I struggled with spine (back & neck issues), went to a chiropractor for help, and did marketing for a chiropractor for about four years. I’ve read a ridiculous amount of articles and learned numerous facts related to spine health and posture, and how it can wreak havoc on your health.
Find out what it means to have good posture, health risks due to bad posture, how to have good posture while sitting at a desk, and the benefits of using a chiropractor, physical therapist, or osteopath, and best of all my spine health tips.
FACTS:
Experts say that poor posture — long regarded as a mere aesthetic concern that made sufferers appear sloppy — is now known to be a major culprit in back problems that strike more than 80 percent of all Americans at some time in their lives, according to the National Institutes of Health (Steussy, 2018).
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work, and it is a leading cause of disability worldwide (Mayo Clinic).
*Note: Blog does contain Affiliate links. If you buy something, I’ll possibly make a small commission from it, but at no additional cost to you.
My Experience with Back Pain & Bad Posture
In college, I always carried a really heavy backpack full of books, notebooks, and my laptop. No matter how much I tried to stand up straight I still would end up with back pains. To make matters worse, I had a crappy chair in my dorm and would often slouch while working at my laptop. There wasn’t much I could of done about the heavy backpack, but I could of found another chair or did stretches everyday! But, I didn’t do a whole lot about it.
It was a few years after college I finally went to see a chiropractor. I was actually pretty scared to try it. I wasn’t real comfortable with the whole concept of it. But, after I started going I realized I should have done it a long time ago. First off, I want to note that chiropractors help with the whole body, not just the back or neck. But, I was there for my back and neck. However, the chiropractor chose to look at all my muscles and joints and found he needed to do some manipulation on my recently injured foot.
When he felt my foot without me even mentioning my injury, he knew something was off. He made me aware that it is a good thing he found it otherwise I would of ended up with arthritis. Let that sink in, yes a lot of people get arthritis that could have been avoided if they had maybe seen a chiropractor or physical therapist for an injury that they weren’t recovering from. For months I couldn’t wear anything with even a slight heel anymore because of the pain. My medical doctor only had me wear a boot for awhile and stay off of it, and after that I was on my own.
I think I was injured maybe a couple months before I saw the chiropractor. Anyway, after a few weeks of adjustments my pain finally vanished completely like the injury never existed. I’m convinced if I never went I would still be struggling with the pain in my foot today.
Get a good pillow!
I highly recommend Pillowise and I’m not getting any commission for recommending them! You get a pillow that is customized to your body. A chiropractor will actually take measurements to help you choose the perfect pillow size for your body. What I really love about it is the pillow I have works great for both back sleeping and side sleeping. It also provides excellent support for my neck.
Fixing My Ongoing Back Pain
Okay back to my back pain (this is a helpful story, I believe). I had to go twice a week for several weeks to eventually once a month. Improvements happened slowly, but I did see them and they were significant! Now there is a lot to be said for going to a chiropractor monthly for regular checkups, but I didn’t like that it felt necessary in order for me to stay pain free. I also personally felt like it was just too frequent. So I went to a physical therapist that does fascial counterstrain and she fixed issues that were deeper in my fascia that a chiropractor doesn’t access.
After a few appointments I was good to go. Then I found I could go 3-4 months without seeing the chiropractor. But, I still go not only for pains in my body, but for my long-term spine health.
See when I went to the chiropractor for the first time, he not only treated my back, neck, and foot pain, but he also found other things such as my hips were off. I was imbalanced, he could see that one foot is extending longer than the other one. So over time if you have that imbalance that could mean hip problems, possibly knee problems, and so on. Chiropractors help with back, neck, head, arms, legs, shoulder, elbows, posture, balance, coordination, medical conditions, injuries, and more. A good chiropractor may also offer insight into your muscle-to-fat ratio, talk about strengthening the body, and stretches for better posture and long-term health of the body and spine.
This is great for muscle pain, pain in the spine. I know a lot of people utilize this and love it. 321 STRONG Foam Roller – Medium Density Deep Tissue Massager Muscle Massage and Myofascial Trigger Point Release 
Is a Chiropractor Helpful to Anyone?
If you have any sort of unresolved pain in the body a chiropractor might be a great choice! I think they are almost needed for preventative health. You might not know you have an imbalance or posture problem until it turns into something chronic. However, I would recommend getting a recommendation from someone you trust because not all chiropractors are great. Also, talk to your doctor because I’m not giving medical advice.
You should also know you don’t have to get your joints cracked (I hate that! I thought it was necessary until I asked my chiropractor about it, and he said there were other methods he could do instead). Lastly, find one that is covered by insurance a lot of them are today.
Osteopaths and physical therapists can also help with a lot of the same things. They may offer fascia counterstrain or myofascial release to deal with deeper issues in the body at the fascia level. However, I can’t say which one to go to. They are all relevant and have something important to offer. Not one is really better than the other.
Massages can help with back pain too! I know multiple people who got this for Christmas last year and loved it! Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager with Heat , VIKTOR JURGEN Deep Tissue Kneading Sports Recovery Massagers for Neck, Back, Shoulders, Foot
Importance of Spine Health
Health Risks Associated with Bad Posture
Slouching frequently can actually affect your digestive tract. It is harmful to your metabolism and may make it harder for you to digest food correctly.- If your spine becomes misaligned from frequent bad posture you might deal with muscle spasms or problems breathing due to ineffective lung function.
- Bad posture can cause poor cognitive function.
- If you sit too long with bad posture your might struggle with circulation.
- Bad posture will obviously cause back, shoulder and neck pain, but it can also lead to headaches.
- It puts you at greater risk for an injury, and could even cause a chronic health issue like TMJ.
- One specific posture issue “forward head posture” can cause musculoskeletal dysfunctions which can impact many systems of the body.
- Bad posture can even affect your mood and cause low self-esteem as you struggle to feel comfortable. “Not only can poor posture add stress and strain, it can also cause you to become fatigued more quickly (Castaneda, 2018).
I will be honest and say posture is something I struggle with. It is partly because I get pains in my body from other health issues where sitting in a desk isn’t very comfortable, and I’m very fidgety.
What is Good Posture
I feel like this image represents good posture, and is better than me trying to explain it.
Make sure your computer is eye level and you are not straining your neck to look at it. Don’t place it too low or too high. In the infographic image his computer screen is not really placed at eye level.
This is what I have for one of my monitors. It is great because it is adjustable. 3M Adjustable Laptop Stand, Raise Screen Height to Reduce Neck Strain, 3″ Height Adjustment, Large Platform for Docking Station Buy Here.
Soundance Laptop Stand, Aluminum Computer Riser, Ergonomic Laptops Elevator for Desk, Metal Holder Buy Here.
Choosing a Suitable Office Chair – Not an Easy Task!
I went to go buy a new office chair a few years back and I was surprised to find 90% of the chairs for sale at the furniture store were not adequate for good posture! Most of the chairs did not meet the list of qualifications I was informed about. In fact, I only found one brand and it was a used chair, but trust me that didn’t mean it was dirt cheap or not high quality. I would call it lightly used. I think my chair new has a price tag of nearly $1,000, and I got it for somewhere under $200.
In order to have a chair that is effective for your spine health it must:
Here is my office chair that I love! It meets all the qualifications for an ergonomic office chair.
1. Have an adjustable height (which most have)
2. It should have lumbar support (which mine is adjustable – but that isn’t absolutely necessary)
3. It should have arm rests.
4. Most importantly, arm rests should swivel in, you should be able to move them inward and outward (mine do). This is the one thing most chairs don’t have, and it is super important! Having your arms not resting comfortably when your typing or just browsing the web is not only exhausting for your arms, but can negatively affect your posture.
5. Choose a seat material that is comfortable, preferably one that breathes.
6. Seat width and depth should be comfortable for anyone (typically 17 to 20 inches in width). Tilt should also be adjustable.
Read more details here: Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair (Note: This site is my #1 resource for information with regards to Spine-Health. I have read a a ton of their content over the years).
As I mentioned in a previous blog post How Exercise can be Natural & Fun, sitting too long is harmful to your health. So even with good posture, you want to get up and move around a bit at least hourly.
SPINE HEALTH TIPS
How to Make Changes to Improve Your Spine Health & Posture
- Visit a Chiropractor or Physical Therapist. As I mentioned above, going to a chiropractor can definitely help with your posture. Also, many make recommendations on stretches or other things to improve your posture. While I think a chiropractor is super beneficial, there are some Physical Therapists or even Osteopaths who offer regular spine maintenance as well, they don’t just help with injury recovery.
- Set up your desk for success.
- Pay attention to your neck as you are browsing your phone. Today, we have this term called “Text Neck” because many of us will bend our necks forward as we are doing something on our phones. Try to hold your phone up to your line of vision. You can also have neck problems from spending long hours talking on the phone. So consider speaker phone or headphones.
- Strengthen Your Body. Strength training will help improve all systems in your body including strengthening your spine and improving your posture. Pilates and Yoga are also great for strengthening the body and making proper posture easier. I make a point to do yoga at least twice a week. It can make visits to a chiropractor or other professional less frequent. Try searching for: yoga for the spine on YouTube.
- Stretching. You can get some good stretches in with yoga. You can also look up stretches for the spine. There are stretches and healthy spine exercises that may help with posture, or help the body after sitting for long periods of time. 6 exercises that improve posture and reduce back pain
- Make a Mental Note or Alarm to Remind You to Fix Your Posture. If you struggle with bad posture in your everyday life whether sitting or standing keep adjusting until it becomes a habit. Practice in the mirror, and set yourself some type of alarm to go off while your working a few times a day to remind you to check your posture.
- Healthy Diet & Collagen. Your diet greatly influences the health of your spine, and you can support it even more through proper supplementation and taking collagen or other spine health supplements.
- Your Shoes. I almost forgot, wearing proper shoes for walking also helps with the health of your spine. So if you are doing lots of walking wear proper tennis shoes, not sandals, not flats, and definitely not heels.
Sometimes your feet need extra support! After my foot was injured I had some of these. My husband has no foot injuries, but because of his flat arches he uses these regularly. Oh and they have woman’s insoles too! Dr. Scholl’s Float-On-Air Insoles for Men, Shoe Inserts That Relieve Tired, Achy Feet with All Day Comfort, , Men’s 8-14 Buy Here.
If you are interested in a yoga mat make sure it is a thick one like this, the thin cheap ones will hurt your wrists. BalanceFrom GoYoga All-Purpose 1/2-Inch Extra Thick High Density Anti-Tear Exercise Yoga Mat with Carrying Strap 
View All Wellness Lifestyle Blog Posts:
What It Means To Live A Wellness Lifestyle & Why It Matters
How Relationships Influence Our Health (in multiple ways) & Our Success
Managing 3 Stages of Stress (Conscious, Hidden Stress & Preventing It)
Cardio vs HIIT – Find out the Benefits of Both!
How Exercise Can Be Natural & Fun
Nature Heals the Soul, Calms the Mind & Restores the Body
Everything You Need to Know About Supplements
How to Sleep Better & What to do When You Can’t Sleep
Importance of Each Sleep Stage, Sleep Schedules & More
How to Increase Water Intake & Choosing Clean Drinking Water
Key to Wellness: Listening to Your Mind, Body, Spirit/Soul
Addicted to Your Phone? Ideas for Spending Less Time on Your Phone
Resources
Neuroscience Specialists/Harmful Consequences of a Bad Posture. Retrieved from: https://www.neurosurg.org/articles/harmful-consequences-of-a-bad-posture
Integrated Rehabilitation Services/6 Effects of Poor Posture on the Body. Retrieved from: https://integrehab.com/blog/back-pain/6-effects-poor-posture/
Steussy, Lauren. (2018, September 24). New York Post/Experts say your posture is terrible and wrecking your health. Retrieved by: https://nypost.com/2018/09/24/experts-say-your-posture-is-terrible-and-wrecking-your-health/#:~:text=Experts%20say%20that%20poor%20posture,the%20National%20Institutes%20of%20Health
MAYO CLINIC/Back Pain. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20369906
Castaneda, Ruben. (2018, February 1). US News/10 Ways Poor Posture Can Harm Your Health. Retrieved from: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/slideshows/10-ways-poor-posture-can-harm-your-health?slide=4
I have a Wellness Coach Certificate, I'm an entrepreneur, an innovator, writer, and artist. My expertise includes over 7 years of marketing, research, and developing content for holistic health businesses. Plus, my own personal journey of becoming chronically sick: understanding what went wrong, and finding a way to heal and live a healthier life. I have a passion for wellness with a wealth of knowledge surrounding: wellness, flaws in healthcare, root causes for chronic illnesses, and alternative treatments.
