Believe it or not, posture significantly affects overall health. Not only does how you sit, lie, and stand affect your spinal alignment, but it also affects the muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout your body.
Poor posture leads to various health issues, including spine osteoarthritis and other uncomfortable conditions. Spinal stenosis is a condition that can occur from both poor posture and osteoarthritis – but can correcting your posture fix the problem?
If you have back pain, neck pain, or other spine problems, Dr. Jordi Kellogg and the team at Kellogg Brain and Spine offer treatments and tips to alleviate your discomfort. Dr. Kellogg is an experienced neurosurgeon who provides conservative and surgical treatments for back pain.
How Posture Affects Your Spine
Posture is simply how you hold yourself while standing, sitting, or lying down. Static and dynamic posture are the two ways you hold your body.
Static posture is the way you hold your body during inactivity. Examples of static posture are when you’re sitting, sleeping, or simply lying down. Dynamic posture is your body during exercise or movement, like running or walking.
Posture isn’t simply standing up straight—it’s a vital part of life and affects many aspects of your body. The main way to maintain posture correctly is to keep your spine aligned. The spine has three specific curves: at your neck, mid-back, and lower back.
Good posture keeps the natural curves in the spine neutral, which means keeping your head over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips.
Slouching and looking down at your phone constantly are both issues that affect all areas of the spine, potentially leading to chronic pain from conditions like osteoarthritis.
Does osteoarthritis cause spinal stenosis?
Osteoarthritis of the spine happens when various forces put pressure on the discs and joints in the spine. The wear-and-tear of arthritis affects the facet joints and causes symptoms like stiffness, pain, and trouble moving the spine.
Spinal stenosis, on the other hand, is a condition in which the spinal canal becomes narrow, putting pressure on the nerves throughout the spine. It can result from genetic spine abnormalities or collapsed intervertebral discs.
But does spinal stenosis stem from osteoarthritis? The answer is simple – sometimes. Osteoarthritis can lead to spinal stenosis, which causes the formation of bone spurs and the breakdown of cartilage between the vertebrae.
Osteoarthritis doesn’t always cause spinal stenosis; sometimes, the conditions co-occur or alone, depending on your spine and other factors like your posture.
Are all three problems linked?
The question is, can poor posture lead to osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis? Unfortunately, yes. How you hold your body daily affects various aspects of the spine, including your joints and protective cartilage.
Poor posture puts a lot of strain on the muscles in the back and neck, along with the ligaments and other tissues. If it continues, the spine changes, causing constricted blood vessels and compressed nerves.
Poor posture can also lead to issues with the discs, vertebrae, and muscles. Two of the results of bad posture are osteoarthritis from strain on the joints and discs and spinal stenosis.
Tips to reduce pain and improve posture
There is good news, though—you can reduce pain in your spine by improving your posture. Dr. Kellogg evaluates your spine to determine if simple posture changes can help your symptoms.
He then offers the following tips to help prevent osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis from worsening:
Be aware of your posture
Your posture is one of the major contributors to back and neck pain. You may not think of it often, but it’s essential to your health. Keep your head over your shoulders and shoulders over your hips when doing anything throughout the day.
Maintain a healthy weight
Excess weight puts added pressure on your spine, especially if you already don’t have good posture. Keep your weight down to reduce spinal strain and prevent osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis.
Stay physically active
Staying physically active is an excellent way to improve your posture and fight off back and neck pain. Yoga and tai chi are particularly effective at improving body awareness and posture. Focusing on your core and abdominal muscles also helps you hold your body properly.
Avoid high-heeled shoes
High heels are extremely bad for your posture because they can throw you off balance. To improve posture and protect your spine, stick to low-heel shoes that are comfortable to avoid muscle strains and the development of more harmful conditions.
Work at the proper levels
You should never bend over to wash the dishes or type on the computer. Always work at a level where you can maintain your posture, whether you’re sitting and watching TV or fixing dinner.
Call Kellogg Brain and Spine today to schedule a consultation for spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis, or request an appointment on this website.