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Are you sitting up straight right now reading this? Or are you hunched over inches away from your computer screen? Don’t worry if you had to adjust your posture, most adults do at some point in their lives. 

Now that most of us are adjusting to working from home, we are probably more sedentary than usual.  We also might be sitting in less posture-positive chairs than we’re used to at the office, or even working from bed.  It’s likely that we will be working from home a little while longer, so it’s important to keep an eye on the way we are holding ourselves up!

Signs of Bad Posture:

If your neck, shoulders, or back are aching, it could very likely be attributed to having bad posture. Some other symptoms of bad posture include:

  • Muscle fatigue
  • Headache
  • Body aches or pains
  • Rounded shoulders

Bad posture has a variety of causes, ranging from the shoes you wear to your family medical history.  At home, we tend to feel more relaxed, which can lead to sitting in awkward positions that may feel comfortable, but actually contribute to worse posture and pains.

How to Improve Your Posture From Home:

  • Make sure your feet are flat on the floor.
  • Don’t over or under-arch your lower back. Your lower back has a natural curve that should be preserved.  When sitting, there should be a space between your lower back and your chair that you are able to fit your hand in.
  • Sit upright.  To those of you who are sending e-mails from the couch, properly sitting upright is a much better way to prevent disk injuries, pains, or strains.
  • Focus your breathing. Proper diaphragmatic breathing ensures that enough oxygen is reaching all of your muscles.
  • Adjust your shoulders.  Often, we sit with lots of tension in our shoulders, and hold them up closer to our ears rather than relaxing them downward.  This can cause shoulder, neck, and back pain. Roll your shoulders back so that they align with your hips and release any tension.
  • Keep your head back.  A lot of us tend to lean our heads forward, especially when working at a computer.  Make it a habit to keep this in check, and align your head straight with your spine.

Massapequa Pain Management and Rehabilitation:

As always, our experts at Massapequa Pain Management and Rehabilitation are here to help with any back pain management issues you may be having.  Check out our blog to stay up-to-date, or make an appointment with us today!