Posture & Lifestyle Advice
Having and maintaing a good posture is a major step in helping your recovery and reducing the stresses and strains on your body. These are simple guidelines which can be incorporated into everyday life to help speed your recovery.
The ideal posture would allow for a plumb line to hang straight through a line from your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. Stand in a relaxed style and gently pull in your stomach muscles. When sitting, the same is true. The gravity line should pass through your ear, shoulder and hip.
Posture and Work
Whether at home, work or on the move, more and more of us are spending large parts of our day using a computer. When sitting and concentrating on the screen for so long, we may not be aware that the position we are in is, in fact, harmful to our spine and joints. A good posture reduces the stresses and strains on the joints and muscles. This information is designed to provide you with postural advice in your work and everyday environment.
Sitting at a PC
Always take the time to adjust your chair if you share your computers with others in the household or work at ‘hot desks’ at work.
Use a cushioned chair with adjustable height and seat tilt. Tilt your chair seat downward so your knees are below your hips.
A rolled up towel, pillow or lumbar support cushion may be used to provide additional lower back support.
Your seat should have arm rests which do not interfere with free movement within your area of work.
Ensure your chair height allows you a space of 25-35 cm between the top of your thighs and the desk.
Your feet should touch the floor. If necessary use a footrest.
Adjust your seat height to ensure your elbows are at a 90 degree angle when using a keyboard or mouse.
Use a wrist rest to support your wrists.
Your eyes should be level with the top of the screen
No matter how comfortable you are in your office chair, remember to stand, stretch and walk for a minute or two every 30 minutes.
If using a laptop, invest in a stand to put it on (or use a ream of paper or other object). This ensures the screen is at eye level. It is a good idea to buy a normal keyboard and mouse to plug in, as this makes it much easier to use the laptop in a more ‘back friendly manner’.
Healthy Lifting Position
To reduce stress on the low back, the following points should be followed
Always lift objects within your limitations
Ask for assistance if the object to be lifted is awkward or heavy
Adopt a firm, wide stance
Bend your knees keeping your back straight when you lift
Keep the lifted object close to your chest not at arms reach
Never lift objects above head height; use a stepladder if necessary
Do not twist when holding a heavy object, especially if the spine is bent
Avoid jerk lifting
Avoid lifting after prolonged sitting or early in the morning
Use the pelvic neutral and co-contraction technique as advised by your therapist to support the spine while lifting
When shopping
Use a shallow rather than a deep shopping trolley so that you are not bending over to lift out heavy shopping bags
Push rather than swing shopping trolleys around a corner
Carry equal amounts of shopping in each hand
Healthy Pregnancy Posture
A good posture during pregnancy will help minimise discomfort and prevent pain, particularly during the last two months. Holding your back straighter helps to reduce strain on the lumbar spine particularly during the later months of pregnancy.