Poor Posture Sciatica

Poor posture sciatica is a condition theorized to exist far more often that it truly does… Many complementary therapists, in particular, place inordinate emphasis on posture as the leading cause of sciatic nerve pain. While having good posture is an asset, it is not at all a guarantee that you will never have back and leg pain. I know this for a fact, since my posture was always very good, yet I suffered for 18 long years…

Poor Posture Sciatica Conditions

Poor posture is characterized by many criteria. Some of the most common physical characteristics of bad posture include:

* Sticking the neck out.
* Hunching the middle back.
* Slouching when seated.
* Holding one shoulder lower than the other.
* Putting uneven weight on one leg or the other.
* Tucking the buttocks in.
* Allowing the chest to sink and the stomach to protrude.

These are not attractive or healthy anatomical behaviors, yet they are very common, especially in younger people. It is nice to develop good posture, since it will help to create a sense of health and aesthetic beauty to the human form, yet improving one’s posture is unlikely to be a cure for most chronic pain syndromes.

Poor Posture Sciatica Concerns

Therapists who spend inordinate amounts of time addressing postural issues typically are missing the boat when it comes to many pain conditions. If there is indeed a spinal structural cause for the pain, such as a herniated disc, then improving posture is not going to do a bit of good to resolve the symptoms. You will look better standing up straight while you suffer from that disc pain, but you will suffer nonetheless…

Of course posture correction will also do nothing at all to address the most common form of sciatica… Ischemia. Standing up straight or sitting properly will not get the blood flowing to anatomical regions which are suffering from oxygen deprivation. I do not care how straight you stand…

Poor Posture Sciatica Advice

Working on improving the posture is a worthwhile addition to a complete health maintenance program, but it is not a cure-all for pain, as many therapists theorize. I know of countless poor souls who spent vast quantities of time doing ridiculous exercises and stretches which accomplished nothing except to increase the frustration these people already endured from their chronic pain. In order to be free from pain, a person must identify the real source and posture typically is not the villain…

The bottom line comes down to this… YES, fix your bad posture habits, since they will help to make your body stronger and allow your muscles to work more efficiently. NO, do not believe that correcting your posture will provide an instant cure to any musculoskeletal issue. YES, realize that bad posture can fatigue the soft tissues and even reshape the skeleton over many years. NO, do not believe that extreme chronic sciatica is the result of bad posture for the overwhelming majority of diagnosed individuals…

Good posture is a part of a combined care approach to back pain, but rarely a solution unto itself.

Poor Posture Sciatica to Sciatica Home
7/22/09 Revised 12/12/09