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Sitting Up Straight Can Cause Back Pain Asking your patients if they spend long hours sitting up straight may help you treat their back pain faster. According to a study conducted at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland, sitting up straight for extended amounts of time places unnecessary strain on the back, leading to potentially chronic pain problems. At the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), researchers presented the study in which they used a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that "a 135- degree body-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position, as opposed to a 90-degree posture, which most people consider normal," said Waseem Amir Bashir, MBChB, FRCR, author and clinical fellow in the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital, Canada. "Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity, and chronic illness." Three different sitting positions were tested: a slouching position, an upright 90-degree position, and a "relaxed" position - reclined backward 135 degrees while feet remain on the floor. Measurements were taken of spinal angles and spinal disk height and movement across the different positions. Spinal disk movement occurs when weight-bearing strain is placed on the spine, causing the internal disk material to misalign. Disk movement was most pronounced with a 90-degree upright sitting posture. It was least pronounced with the 135-degree posture, indicating that less strain is placed on the spinal disks and associated muscles and tendons in a more relaxed sitting position. The slouch position revealed a reduction in spinal disk height, signifying a high rate of wear and tear on the lowest two spinal levels. Across all measurements, the researchers concluded that the 135-degree position fared the best. As a result, Bashir and colleagues advise people to stave off future back problems by correcting their sitting posture and finding a chair that allows them to sit in an optimal position of 135 degrees. "This may be all that is necessary to prevent back pain, rather than trying to cure pain that has occurred over the long term due to bad postures," he added. Source: Radiological Society of North America, www.rsna.org; From an article in Chiropractic Economics Magazine, www.chiroeco.com; Source: http://www.logan.edu/pdf/student_connection/student_connection_11-06.pdf; A Head's Up on Posture: Don't Be a Slouch! Edward L. Maurer, D.C., D.A.C.B.R.. Chiropractor National University of Health Sciences Kalamazoo, MI, USA Susan Spinasanta Medical Editor SpineUniverse Desert Hot Springs, CA, USA Student Profile: Best Related Articles . Maintaining a Healthy Spine - Posture . Back Pain Prevention: 5 Harmful Habits . Use Good Body Mechanics to Help Keep Your Spine Safe An Early Message As a child my paternal grandmother was constantly after me saying, "Sit up straight," "don't slump in the chair," and "walk tall!" At just about every family gathering I could count on grandma giving me a lecture about posture. The message was the same even as I got older. In my teenage years the reminders became a source of embarrassment and sometimes I would actually try to hide to escape her persistent pestering! Well, now I'm an adult with children of my own. Often, while observing my youngest, the faint stirrings of grandma's voice resound in my head. I'm actually surprised to hear my own voice echoing her very words to this child! How Poor Posture Happens Poor posture is easy whereas adapting habits of good posture often require conscious effort. Most people do not think about their posture until someone brings it to their attention. The benefits of good posture far outweigh the ease of slouchy poor posture. You could say that poor posture habits have followed trends in society. Children carry huge over loaded backpacks, adults lug briefcases to work, and thousands of people spend hours hunched over a computer whether for work or play. Poor posture is not only habitual, but is also seen in people with low self-esteem, degenerative problems affecting the spine, pain causing muscle guarding, and obesity. Continue: http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1290.html -----Original Message----- From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Dewey Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 8:22 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: benefits of notetaking or sitting position It must be the cold-- when I looked at this thread I thought "Who has researched the effect of the slouch vs. the upright sitting position?" :-) Happy day everyone. Elizabeth Dewey Teaching/Learning Center, Delta College University Center, MI 48710 989.686.9587 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]