It is a common thought that the people who are at a great risk of suffering from spine-related injuries are people who engage in physical activities such as physical sports. While that is true, there is also a class of people that are in the same deal of risk as people who are involved in physical sports; these are the people that spend hours of time sitting behind their computers. If you are one of them, you risk injuring your spine or other parts of your body that are attached to the spine by posing poorly behind your computer. But what exactly is bad or good posture?
Poor Posture
Poor posture can be described in many ways. For instance, your lower back is suffering if you are sitting in a twisted position, which is as a result of using the mouse for long periods of time. Not only is your body twisted but one side of your body is overloaded. The fix is to position the mouse next to the keyboard or learn to use keyboard shortcuts if you usually spend plenty of time working on your computer.
Another poor posture that also happens to be common among many computer users is the hunchback. This is when you form a C shape with your back. If you find yourself carving your spine, you better change your posture. Otherwise, you risk suffering from pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. The fix is easy, though; you just need to increase the flexibility of your upper back by bending the upper back on a foam roller. Simply lie on a foam roller (your face facing up) and position the roller in a way that it coincides with the middle of your back. Then place your hands on your head and lift your upper back over the roller by bending it. Do so at least five times.
Good Posture
By sitting correctly in front of your monitor, you can avoid most of the spine-related injuries. But it all begins with a good chair. This is a chair that has a backrest so that it can support the curve of your lumbar (lower back). The chair should also be made in a way that is possible to adjust its height as well as tilt. Also consider a chair that has a padded seat; the pan must be one inch wider than your thighs and hips.
As for posture, always sit with your back rested on the chair's backrest. Also adjust the height of your computer screen so that it can be level with your eyes. Otherwise, you will be forced to bend your neck if the screen is too low or too high.
For more information, contact a physical therapist.
