Re-thinking Posture

What’s the best seated posture for sitting at a desk?

With a large number of employees in Glasgow now working from home, normal daily physical activity has dramatically decreased. Rather than commute to the office, we’re working almost exclusively at home.

Posture is now very much a part of the occupational health repertoire. It’s something that every desk-based worker has heard of, or at least feels like they should be mindful of.

But how do you find the Holy Grail, the ‘good’ posture that society is forever telling you to achieve? Where does it live? How do we get it? And why does your back still hurt even though you’re doing all the right things?

There are many interpretations as to what ‘good’ posture is, and why ‘good’ posture is inherently better than ‘bad’ posture. At least, that’s what we’re told.

From military barracks to 19th-century European gymnasts to Joseph Pilates; posture has become an ideal to strive for. A sign of discipline, a sign of health and touted as a pathway to control pain.

It’s common to associate ‘bad’ posture with pain and discomfort. And it’s not uncommon to hear that the simple act of sitting upright is the antidote for tackling the multifaceted and often complex biopsychosocial factors that lie at the root cause of that desk-based pain.

“I have bad posture when I sit at my desk” is the phrase I hear almost daily when a client comes into the clinic looking for pain relief from time spent sitting at the desk at home.

We’re all accustomed to the labels of ‘bad’ posture and ‘good’ posture. But is there more to it?

With back, neck and shoulder pain becoming increasingly problematic in the work-from-home population, I feel like it’s time to address the elephant in the room regarding posture.

The quest for the static postural utopia has been going on for too long. Yes, having an ergonomically sound desk set-up IS somewhat beneficial for making work movements more efficient. But it pales in comparison to the bigger picture with regards to long-term pain management.

Posture is determined by the repetitive actions that frequently appear in your daily life.

And one thing that’s sorely missing in every popular source on posture, is the importance of MOVEMENT VARIABILITY.

What is movement variability?

More specifically, I’m hinting towards joint variability.

Joint variability is the ability to move the joints of your body through their natural movement range.

A shoulder is made to rotate, to reach backward, to flex overhead free of pain. Your big toe is designed to move independently of the other four toes of the foot. The spine is built to extend, to rotate, to bend…you get the idea here.

Humans have the capacity for a variety of joint movements.

Modern human beings are starved of the physical movement vocabulary that our bodies evolved to accomplish. Sitting at a desk with hips in flexion, spine rounded forward and overworked wrist flexors. These are only a small portion of positions our bodies can comfortably deal with for short periods of time.

They’re not inherently ‘bad’ movements. But the majority of our country’s working population is repeating this pattern more frequently than any other. And for large portions of our lives.

The joints involved in sitting can do so much more than simply sitting all day. There is endless potential for mixing up movements. When discussing posture, I feel like we’re missing the bigger picture. The focus is always on the static sitting position for ridiculously extended periods of time.

But how well is that body prepared to move through various ranges of motion? And doing so free of pain?

Only then we can figure out if that body is capable of a more efficient seated position.

And if not, are there opportunities that allow those movement capabilities to be achieved through individual, programmed movement improvement? Are there therapy modalities available that help kickstart change?

We were designed to move frequently and in a variety of different ways throughout the day. Tackle the movement variability issue and a more efficient, pain-free working posture is the indirect bonus.

Here’s a question.

Be Honest With Yourself

Do you allow your body enough opportunities to experience different movements during the day?

If the answer is ‘no’, you’re not alone.

With less movement, muscles become restricted, bodies feel sore, and chronic pain patterns begin to develop. It can be frustrating. But all is not lost.

Would Massage Help Me?

The precise, therapeutic touch of a skilled massage therapist allows for the nervous system to ease off and enter a more relaxed and malleable state. This is one of the first steps in freeing up rigid muscles and getting to the source of chronic pain and discomfort.

The aim of regular massage is to build pain-free, varied movement into your day. It’s a great way to lay the foundations for re-programming healthier movement patterns and allowing your body to explore new movement territory in a way that is safe and that feels good to do so.

Taking those first steps into overcoming problem pain areas in your own body can feel daunting at first. But I can assure you that with the right support, individualised massage therapy can be a wonderful asset to the long-term health of your body.

Your future self sitting at your desk will thank you for it.