The way you position your spine matters

Whether you like it or not, and whether you are conscious of it or not, each position you adopt throughout the day is likely putting your spine under pressure. With awareness, the amount of pressure can be limited; likewise, with no awareness, this pressure can accumulate and cause back pain and dysfunction. The positions that put your spine under the most pressure are among the most common that we assume during the day:

• Sitting is the worst position for your spine
• Sitting and lifting
• Lifting or bearing weight 
• Leaning forward
• Forward head posture

Statistics on posture and lumbar pressure. 

All of the above positions put a disproportionate amount of pressure on the spine. For example, for every inch the head is held forward, the downward pressure on the spine is magnified 10X. With a misaligned spine this added pressure is likely to take an even further toll, causing back pain and spinal degeneration. A further example involves sitting, the worst position for the human body:

• Sitting with upright posture, lumbar disc pressure is observed at 140kg
• Leaning forward while sitting increases the pressure by a further 40kg

What we can do about pressure at Relief Medical Group

The lowest lumbar pressure is observed when lying on the back, at around 25 kg. But few humans can lie on their back all day, and that comes with its own set of problems. At Relief Medical Group, we seek to limit the toll that pressure takes by a direct approach. One way to limit the incursion of pressure is to build the right muscles (core-stabilizers) and become a posture professional. But a further way is to use decompression therapy: modalities such as manual and instrument-assisted traction which stretches the spine and opens up space between the vertebrae to reverse many of the damaging effects of pressure. Decompression modalities allow for the rehydration of intervertebral discs and provide for the retraction of bulging disc material. If you are interested in mitigating lumbar pressure and preventing back pain in a proactive manner, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.