When Correcting Posture Causes Pain – The Complete Guide

Like most people with back problems, you have probably tried to improve your posture by sitting or standing straight. The problem with that is that it feels bad; Unnatural and tense. And because you cannot retain it, you return to your old habits. It begins to seem as if correcting posture causes pain. You ask yourself why does my back hurt when I wake up?

This begs the question if good posture is so healthy why does sitting and standing straight hurt? The truth is that correcting the posture initially causes pain and discomfort because the muscles are too weak to maintain the posture. Fortunately, this is not something permanent and if you do several exercises and learn to be more careful with your posture, you will speed things up.

The ultimate goal is that a good posture should feel good and not cause pain or discomfort. The trick is to have an upright posture while you are relaxed. It takes a little practice.

When Correcting Posture Causes Pain

Why does good posture hurt? Why does it seem that correcting posture causes pain? The problem is that we are so determined to stand up straight that we put too much tension on the muscles.

Actually, this is not a good posture.

For instance, people usually try to sit up straight but when they cannot hold it for long. They tend to end up slouching again. This is because their muscles are not strong enough to carry them. Sitting is not bad. It is just that doing it too much is bad. And the same with many other things too. We just tend to sit a lot.

When it seems that correcting posture causes pain, you are advised to get up and walk around. Generally, getting up to walk every 15 to 20 minutes is ideal in minimizing pain.

If you encourage people to have a really strong posture, they will end up with problems in the upper back. This is because they might not have received the proper training in this respect. People who are quite resilient and have adequate training will tolerate these positions for longer. Not that they are great to have. I would personally suggest building your supports, instead of just focusing on the position all the time.

Continue reading to know what to do when correcting posture causes pain

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Effects of Poor Posture on the Skeletal and Muscular Systems

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Furthermore, those who suffer from back pain often blame bad posture as the cause. A common assumption is that a chiropractic adjustment and/or sitting straight as long as possible solves the problem.

What really happens is that after a short time, say 10 to 20 minutes, the muscles get tired and hurt. At this point that correcting their posture causes them pain, most people go back to their slouching posture.

Like I have earlier said, sitting or standing upright and maintaining good posture is simply uncomfortable at first because the muscles are not strong enough to maintain it.

It really is not a great mystery. You can think of something like doing a new exercise or movement and how quickly it causes fatigue and finally pain if you continue. Similarly, practicing good posture will be awkward at first.

Fortunately, a blend of exercises to strengthen your back muscles, while observing your posture and adopting good postural habits, will ultimately eliminate any distress and pain.

The key is to start lightly and progress slowly but steadily. If it becomes painful to maintain a posture, you should take a break.

Common Posture Errors and Simple Solutions

Just like exercise, maintaining a solid posture is a way of life. In fact, there are several common and harmful postural habits that can negatively affect the alignment of your body.

It may surprise you to learn that these seemingly harmless habits can cause various medical problems, including pain in the joints, decreased functionality of internal organs (especially the lungs and digestive tract) and muscles. These habits can also tighten the ligaments, hamstrings, and muscles.

These problems can enormously affect your quality of life! Your digestion and breathing are affected, as is your ability to exercise properly.

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Different Types of Bad Posture

Over time, a weak posture can push the thoracic cavity inward, which causes several cardiovascular and circulatory problems.

So what exactly are these bad habits that lead to a poor posture? I think some common bad habits you probably have are:

• Slouching in a sitting position
• Tilting your head forward
• Forgetting to take regular breaks from sitting, for example at work.
• Using one side more than the other. For instance, the dominant use of an arm or increased pressure on one leg. The dominant use of one arm can make one shoulder move forward more than the other.

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1. Tilting your Head Forward or “Text Neck” (Forward Head Posture)

When you hunch on your laptop, your head may tend to lean forward, resulting in bad posture. A similar problem is the use of cell phones for long periods. This is also known as a text neck.

To correct the forward head posture, try exercises that strengthen the upper back, neck, and back of the shoulder.

Chest stretching and neck posture exercises are the most effective remedies for a hunch back. The exercises to correct the forward head posture are the following:

• Gently stretch your neck upwards while tucking in your chin.
• Pull-ups or Seated rows in a gym house.
• Chest Stretch

Here’s how to do a Chest stretch:

Stand at a door with one foot in front of the other. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle by placing your forearms on each side of the door. Place your weight on your front leg, leaning forward, until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold for 15 seconds. Relax and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 more times.

2. Slouching in Sitting Position

The best exercises to help correct hunched postures are those that strengthen the central and gluteal muscles. This, in addition to the back extensions, will help you sit straight without any discomfort.

The exercises to correct a slouching posture are:

Bridges

Lie on your back, arms by your side. Bend your knees and bring your ankles as close as possible to your buttocks. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, keeping your knees and thighs parallel. Hold this pose for five full breaths and then repeat it. Perform this exercise in repetitions of 10.

Back Extensions

Lie on your stomach with your arms in front of you. Involve your abdominals as if you were trying to create a space between your stomach and the floor. Lift your left arm and right leg about an inch from the floor and stretch as much as possible.

Hold this position for 5 full breaths and repeat with the right arm and the left leg. Continue alternating sides until you finish a series of 10s.

Plank

Lie on your stomach and place your hands on your shoulders as if you were about to do push-ups. Fix the toes to the floor and engage the buttocks to stabilize your body.

Get up by pressing the ground with the palm of your hands. Maintain a straight line from head to toe. Hold for 20 seconds.

You can always opt for painkillers or bandages to solve your posture pain problems.

3. Sticking Out you Bottom or Anterior Pelvic Tilt

High heels, abdominal fat, and pregnancy can contribute to the “Donald Duck” posture. However, one of the main reasons is probably the number of hours spent sitting each day.

To remedy your standing posture, imagine a chain attached to the top of your head trying to pull you to the sky. Correct alignment of the body maintains the natural curve of the spine, with a straight neck and shoulders parallel to the hips.

Be sure to keep your shoulders back but relaxed. Keep your feet hip-width apart and balance your weight evenly on both feet. You must keep your head in a fixed and neutral position. Keep your legs straight, but your knees relaxed.

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Effects of Bad Posture on the Muscles

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The exercises to correct a position of “Donald Duck” are:

1. Plank

Place your hands directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder-width) as if you were about to do a push-up.

Place your toes on the floor and tighten your glutes to stabilize your body. Your legs should also work; be careful not to block or hyperextend your knees.

Neutralize your neck and spine by looking at a spot on the ground, one foot beyond your hands. Your head should be aligned with your back.

Hold the position for 20 seconds. As you become more comfortable with the movement, hold your board for as long as possible without compromising your form or breathing.

2. Side-lying leg raises

Lie on your right side with your legs extended and one on top of the other. Support your head with the palm of your right hand.

Without bending your knees, raise your left leg as much as possible. Hold for 3 seconds and lower it again.

Repeat until you complete a set and alternate the sides.

3. Hip Flexor Stretches

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and the toes forward. Bend the right knee and pull the right heel toward the buttocks.

Hold your right foot with your right hand and gently pull. Hold it for 30 seconds and repeat the same procedure with the other leg.

4. One leg standing/Leaning on one leg

Muscle imbalances develop around the pelvic region over time, tightening the lower back and buttocks.

Parents carrying small children on one side, carrying heavy backpacks on one shoulder and lean on one leg lead to uneven hips.

To correct this, be sure to stand with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the core and buttocks will help correct uneven hips:

• Plank
• Side-lying leg raises
• Bridges

Continue reading to know what to do when correcting posture causes pain

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Best Sitting Position for Scoliosis

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What to do When Correcting Posture Causes Pain

When correcting posture cause pain, it is best to stop whatever it is you are doing.

For instance, if you slouch or hunch over when sitting. You might want to correct this bad posture by sitting straight. If your back muscles have not been adequately trained, they will tire from keeping that position. This will then lead to pain in the back.

What you must do, is to stand up and walk around. Sitting for a long time is very harmful to your body.

This also goes for standing or lying down and every other activity.

Summary

Yes, correcting posture causes pain at the start of the process. This is because the muscles are not strong and are not used to the new position. However, this pain is not permanent as it disappears as soon as your muscles begin to get used to the corrected posture.

To deal with this pain, it is necessary to undergo muscle strengthening exercises. These exercises will build your muscles and equip them to carry you through the process of correcting your posture.

Whether correcting your posture causes you pain or not do not give up. The ultimate goal is to get that perfect posture that will help you stay healthy and maximize life.