Improving posture is a love, hate, love relationship.
Consider this story:
Pete breaks his arm and goes to his orthopedic medical doctor who puts his arm back in place. Once it’s in place the doctor sends Pete back without any type of brace or any instructions on modifying his day to day life. He says “don’t worry, if it comes out of place I’ll just put it back again.” Well, because there is no cast and no commitment to keep the arm in the right position, Pete keeps coming back to see his orthopedic doctor. Each time the doctor puts his arm back in the right position and Pete feels better. Unfortunately, Pete’s arm never seems to recover and he comes to the realization that he will just have to see his healthcare practitioner for the rest of his life. He goes ahead and schedules 2-3 times per week for the rest of his foreseeable future.
The story is a bit ridiculous, yet it has similarities to how many people treat their back. Don’t be a Re: Pete story. Although maintaining correct posture is not easy, it’s worth it if you commit all the way until your back heals. An upright posture is like putting your back in the correct position, and keeping it there for a prolonged period of time is essential for proper healing.
If you have seen our previous videos on discovering if an upright posture is worth it for you, and found out that it is, then this post is for you. It’s important to know what to expect when you take the leap on improving your posture. Fully commit, there is no exercise or practitioner that can improve your posture for you.
If you have found your correct posture and have committed to stay there until your back heals, there are three stages you will go through: Love. Hate. and Love. Watch the video or read on to find out more.
As a reminder, an upright posture is not treatment for every back problem. If you still need to determine if maintaining an upright posture is worth it for you, check out our previous post Back Self Treatment: Exploring Good Posture.
If you are unsure if your change in symptoms with an upright posture is good or bad check out Back Self Treatment: Good vs. Bad Changes in Symptoms.
Stage 1: Love
In this first stage it will feel a bit awkward to completely avoid slouching and bending your back forward, but you will quickly begin to realize the benefits. Your normal back and referred pains will decrease or go away. If you had nerve symptoms in your legs you may notice less numbness or improved strength in your legs. You will have thoughts like:
“Why didn’t I do this sooner?!”
“Dr. Charles is a genius!”
You will love this stage. Unfortunately, this stage lasts about 1 day.
Stage 2: Hate
The hate stage is also the growth stage. It begins after 2-3 days of a consistent upright posture. This is the stage when your postural muscles adjust to the new found demand being put on them. It is very common to experience achiness and muscle fatigue in both your back and your neck. You will feel compelled to roll your shoulders forward to stretch out the muscles behind your shoulder blades. You will want to slouch or arch your low back like a cat.
This stage is the postural equivalent to the muscle soreness you feel after working out for the first time in a while. If you give up because of soreness, your muscles will never actually become stronger and you will undo any benefits you began to experience in the first Love stage.
Here are a few strategies to make it through this stage:
- Spend more time standing than sitting. It is easier to keep an upright posture while standing and is not as much work on your muscles.
- If even standing is becoming unbearable then lay on your stomach. This will allow your back muscles to completely turn off and relax while also maintaining correct alignment. It will not relieve the compulsion to stretch the back muscles the opposite direction, but it does help a lot.
- Remember your why: What is the reason you want to get better? Do you want to start a walking program to get healthier? Do you want to live longer to see your grandchildren? Do you want to be able to tolerate a long car ride to visit family? When all else fails, a strong WHY will be better motivation then anything I have to say.
After 1-2 weeks you will make to the final stage: Love
Stage 3: Love
You’ve done it! You have made it through the curve. By this point your back and its referred pains have dramatically improved. And, because your posture has stayed good for more than a week, your back has stayed in the correct position long enough to begin to heal. This means that the likelihood of returning back to how bad your pain was before is significantly decreased. At this point your muscles are stronger and, believe it or not, it will feel a bit awkward to slouch again.
An upright posture may or may not be enough alone to completely heal your back and referred symptoms. Usually it needs to be paired with the correct exercise to completely get rid of your back problem. However, if slouching worsens your back and referred symptoms, then it is unlikely to ever fully improve without addressing your posture.
If you are thinking “It’s unrealistic to believe anyone can keep perfect posture for the rest of their life,” then I agree with you. The goal here is keep it in perfect position long enough for it to heal. After that, it does not have to be perfect 24/7. Me? I personally keep good posture throughout the day, but at the end of the day I slouch and relax just like everyone else. But if my back ever starts causing me pain, then I skip the “relax at the end of the day” part for about a week until I am better.
What about you, does this information discourage you from correcting your posture? Or do you feel empowered since you know what to expect?
Dr. Charles Baldi
Ortho and spine specialist
Doctor of physical therapy
Baldi Movement Group LLC
www.baldimovementgroup.com
ContactUs@baldimovementgroup.com
(610) 484-4487