Can Bad Posture Lead to Chronic Pain?

It is easy to ignore poor posture until it becomes a part of your daily life. Sitting at a desk, using your phone often, having a weak core, recovering from an injury, or moving in repetitive ways can lead to poor posture. Over time, these factors can put additional strain on your spine, muscles, joints, and soft tissues. For many people, back pain from poor posture does not develop suddenly. The pain develops slowly over time because the body gets used to the position, putting extra stress on it. Physical Therapy & Injury Specialists help patients in the metro Denver area resolve problems with posture, movement limitations, muscle imbalance, and pain through physical therapy, therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and more.

Resource: spinehealth.org

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

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What is Posture?

Posture refers to the position your body is in when you sit, stand, walk, lift, or move. Healthy posture allows you to distribute weight evenly throughout your body. Poor posture can put more work on some muscles and less on others. Examples of poor posture include rounded shoulders, a forward head, slouching, hips not in line with each other, or an overly arched lower back. Poor posture like this can lead to tension in the neck, upper back, lower back, shoulders, and hips.

Resource: healthline.com

Can Bad Posture Cause Chronic Pain?

Bad posture can lead to chronic pain by keeping your body in a strained position for a long time. Muscles can tighten, joints can become irritated, and nerves can be compressed or sensitive. This can lead to chronic pain that develops over time and lasts weeks, months, or longer. Posture-related chronic pain can affect the:

• Neck
• Shoulders
• Upper back
• Lower back
• Hips
• Head
• Jaw
• Knees

Pain may feel like:

• A dull ache
• Sharp pain
• Stiffness
• Tenderness
• Exhaustion

Some people notice these symptoms while:

• Sitting at a desk or computer
• Driving
• Lifting
• Exercising
• Standing for a long period of time

Resource: brownhealth.org

Daily Habits

There are many daily habits that add stress to the body. Examples include sitting with rounded shoulders, looking down at your phone for prolonged periods, working at a desk with improper screen height, carrying your bag over one shoulder, standing with your weight shifted to one hip, sleeping in a position that puts stress on the neck or back, lifting with improper body mechanics, or exercising with limited core or hip stability. Small habits are more of a concern when you do them every day. Your body might adjust to accommodate these habits, which can make the pain last longer. Sometimes it is hard to resolve without a therapist’s help.

Bad Posture and Neck Pain

Forward head posture is one of the most common causes of neck pain. It refers to the position in which your head is forward instead of above your shoulders. The further your head is out, the greater the strain on the muscles in your neck and upper back. Forward head posture can also cause pain, neck tightness, headaches, and limited range of motion in your shoulders. Physical therapy can address some of the causes, including muscle weakness, joint tightness, and movement.

Bad Posture and Back Pain

Slouching or prolonged sitting can lead to back pain by increasing stress on the lower back. Muscles, including the core muscles, can be tight or weak. Hips can be tight. There can be poor spinal alignment. All of these factors increase the work the lower back must do and can cause lower back pain. This pain might get worse from sitting at a desk for long periods, driving long distances, or even standing for long periods. Physical therapy can help determine which muscles are weak, limited range of motion, or need to be retrained to move differently.

Muscle Imbalances and Chronic Pain

Muscle imbalances occur when one muscle group becomes chronically short or “dominant,” and the opposing muscle group becomes chronically weak or “underused.” Muscle imbalances may affect the position and movement of your joints and posture, contributing to discomfort and pain over time. For example, tight chest and shoulder muscles and weak upper back muscles may lead to rounded shoulders. Similarly, tight hip muscles and weak glutes may lead to improper posture or pelvic tilt, placing more stress on your back. These types of imbalances change the way your body moves and can lead to increased pain or recurring injury in the affected area.

Signs That Pain May Be Related to Posture

Posture may be a contributing factor in your pain if you notice:

• Pain after prolonged periods of sitting or standing
• Tightness in your neck or back after a day of sitting
• Headaches that start near the base of your neck and move upward
• Tightness around the shoulder blades while working at your computer
• Pain that improves when you change positions during the day
• Pain or tightness on one side of your body when standing or walking
• Limited movement when turning your head or shoulders
• Limited movement when bending or twisting through your hips or lower back

Posture is not always the only cause of pain. A physical therapist can evaluate your movement patterns, muscle strength, flexibility, and joint function to help identify the underlying cause of your symptoms.

How Physical Therapy Can Help With Posture Pain

Physical Therapy & Injury Specialists help improve posture-related pain by identifying the cause and treating it directly. This may include mobility therapy, strengthening, manual therapy, posture retraining, education, and movement pattern correction. The therapist may focus on improving the mobility of your spine and other joints, strengthening weak muscles, lengthening overly tight muscles, improving body mechanics, correcting movement patterns, and improving safe sitting, lifting, and exercise techniques. Physical therapists provide services such as physical therapy, manual therapy, orthopedic therapy, therapeutic exercise, dry needling, balance therapy, vestibular therapy, concussion therapy, Pilates, TRX training, and golf readiness.

How You Can Help Improve Your Posture

Making small daily changes can help reduce strain on your neck, back, shoulders, hips, and supporting muscles. Some examples of ways to improve posture include sitting with your monitor at eye level and your feet firmly on the ground, getting up frequently throughout the day and moving around every 30-60 minutes, relaxing your shoulders instead of carrying your posture in your rounded shoulders, not tucking your phone between your shoulder and your ear, using a comfortable chair to support your back during periods of long sitting, increasing the strength of your core and glutes and upper back, and lengthening tight muscles in your chest, hips and neck. These small changes can help improve and develop new daily habits, but if you continue to experience pain, it should be evaluated by a professional.

When Do You Need To See a Therapist?

You should consider seeking the help of a physical therapist if you experience pain for a few weeks, have recurring pain that is impacting daily activity, pain that limits your ability to work, exercise, or sleep, numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain radiating into arms or legs, or pain and/or headaches related to postural changes. Receiving care as soon as the pain is identified can help limit its impact on your daily activities and help prevent the condition from getting worse. A physical therapist can work with you to develop a care plan based on your specific movement patterns, pain triggers, and health goals.

Final Thoughts

Your chronic pain may be related to poor posture. Chronic poor posture can lead to pain when it places too much strain on your neck, back, shoulders, hips, and supporting muscles over time. The good news is that posture-related pain can improve when correctly identified and addressed with appropriate movement pattern corrections and strengthening. Physical Therapy & Injury Specialists help patients reduce pain, improve function, and safely return to activities of daily living. Schedule your appointment with Physical Therapy & Injury Specialists to see if poor posture may be causing your chronic pain.