Does bad posture cause pain?
“I know I need to work on my posture”
Is a common thing clients like to say when they talk to me about pain in their
neck
shoulder
and back
Just like everything, there’s a little bit of truth here but mostly misguided
It is true at the extremes.
Otherwise it is an inconsistent way to go about fixing the issue.
The above is a common type of picture used to show “good” and “bad” postures. In reality a posture is only bad if it prevents you from being able to do what you NEED to do.
If you have a thoracic kyphosis and a forward head - that’s perfect for working at a computer.
It’s TERRIBLE for lifting weights over your head.
If you have an increased lumbar lordosis, that may affect your ability to squat deeper without some type of compensation.
Regardless, having these different posture variations can cause repetitive motion/overuse injuries
Which can lead to pain
When it’s the upper back, you usually experience shoulder pain because the shoulder joint itself is doing all the work instead of the entire shoulder girdle.
The default is to work the rotator cuff and make it stronger, when in reality just improving the upper back/thoracic spine is all that’s needed. The cuff will need SOME work but that’s really secondary.
When it is the low back and increase lordosis, the low back ends up being overworked.
Then when you experience back pain you get told your back and abs are weak so you focus on that.
In reality your back is strong (and overworked) and you need to address your hips and sometimes upper back.
The bottom line
Posture is never ONE single joint problem, it’s a collection of things that contribute to the body since it is a SYSTEM of things working together.
Any good treatment system should treat the entire body as a whole, not as individual parts.
Our mobility program does that and its free to paid subs. Grab it below.