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You sit at your desk for hours. You spend the evening curled up on the couch. Then your lower back starts aching, and you wonder where the pain came from. It could be your posture.
Poor posture doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to develop back pain. Still, the way you sit, stand, and move affects how your muscles and joints work together. Over time, poor movement patterns can contribute to muscle tension, stiffness, and discomfort. Better posture can mean better health and reduced back pain.
At Serenity Osteopathic, LLC, in Satellite Beach, Florida, board-certified osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal doctor Tiffany Noblitt, DO, offers complete care for low back pain, including regenerative medicine and targeted pain-management injections.
How does your posture affect your back?
Your spine has natural curves that help distribute weight and keep your body balanced. When you regularly slouch, lean to one side, or sit in an awkward position, some muscles have to work harder than others.
That can leave you with an aching back, muscle spasms, stiffness, or pain that gets worse when you sit or lie down. Some people also have trouble standing up straight or bending over after spending the day with poor posture.
Treating your pain without addressing how you move throughout the day can leave you right back where you started. If you spend eight hours hunched over a computer, for example, treating your back without changing that pattern won’t address the bigger picture.
Postural changes you can make
Start paying attention to how you hold your body during everyday activities. Adjust your workstation so you’re not constantly leaning forward. Get up and move around during long periods of sitting. When you lift something, use good body mechanics rather than twisting your back.
Regular movement and targeted exercises can improve strength, flexibility, and mobility. Physical therapy can help build better movement patterns, while hands-on options such as osteopathic manipulative treatment can address restrictions that affect how your body moves.
If your back pain keeps returning or interferes with your normal routine, it’s time to look beyond posture alone.
Visiting an osteopathic doctor for spinal pain
A comprehensive evaluation of your posture and symptoms can help identify what’s actually causing your pain. This includes looking at your range of motion, mobility, strength, and the activities that make your symptoms better or worse.
Depending on the cause, treatment can include physical therapy, osteopathic manipulative treatment, dry needling, activity changes, trigger point or epidural injections, and regenerative treatments such as platelet-rich plasma injections.
Our goal is to understand the mechanics of why your back hurts and create a treatment plan that helps you move more comfortably and get back to the things you enjoy. To learn more, contact Serenity Osteopathic today.