Good Posture is Bad for Your Back

The results of a study on children carrying heavy backpacks was just published in January of 2010 in the journal Spine.  The study showed that when weight was added to backpacks that children were wearing, their spines showed more compression and curvature.  The weights were 9, 18, and 26 pounds.  The children also reported more pain when more weight was added.

So, is it bad to carry weight on your back? Actually, when wearing a backpack, the weight rests on the shoulders, as is common in many countries around the world where people still have natural, healthy posture.  We know that some of these people carry hundreds of pounds on their heads or shoulders, often for decades.  They remain straight and active into their old age.  (For a nice photo of carrying on the head, check out the photo below).

When you stand “in Balance” like these healthy people, the spine stacks vertically and is very strong.  When you stand in the typical American  posture, the weight no longer goes through a straight spine, and compensations and compression result.

In the study, the children’s spines became more curved to the left or right with added weight, and they had to adjust their posture to bear the heaviest weight.

The problem is that most children in the US today have unhealthy posture.  They learn this from observing the culture around them.  That’s why children who grow up in cultures with healthy posture maintain that posture throughout their lives.

Setting a Bad Example

I saw a prime example of how we learn this posture unconsciously when I was at the mall buying gifts for my nieces recently.  The mannequins in the store windows had extremely “out of Balance” posture, with the pelvis thrust way forward.  They were standing in an extreme backbend!

You might think, “Well, I don’t stand that way.”  Actually, I didn’t think that I did either.  I was so surprised to learn that I had some version of that exact posture that the mannequins were displaying!  It’s wasn’t my fault – and it’s not your fault either.  We just unconsciously pick up the posture we see modeled around us.  I’d love to see these models change!

You Can Change the Pattern

Until then, the best thing you can do for yourself and your kids is to learn healthy alignment and practice it.  You can model this for others, and maybe we can slow the rise in back pain being observed in children.  Sure, it’s not great for young kids to carry heavy weights.  But an equal problem is HOW they are carrying the weight.

The researchers said that the kids in the study were carrying the backpacks on both shoulders when being measured, but that if they were to carry them on one shoulder, the results could be even worse.

“Low back pain in children may be worsened by discogenic [disc-related] or postural changes,” according to Dr. Timothy Neuschwander of UC San Diego.  With the posture of most kids these days, that is no surprise.  This CAN be changed.  By learning the healthy posture and movement patters of Balanced people, you can reduce pain and improve your posture for life.

If you’d like to get some help with your posture while carrying a backpack, (or your kids’ posture), you can contact me for a private Balance Method session.  With healthy alignment, you can carry your backpack in total comfort!

(© 2010 Dana K. Davis.  If you want to use this article in your E-zine or website, please credit Dana K. Davis, MA, www.sonomabodybalance.com.)

Check out this great photo, taken by Bill Pfeffer.  Look at the length in her spine, and the quality of relaxation in how she carries the weight.

Balanced posture in Bali

Have you ever resolved to change something in your life, and then found that no matter how hard you try, it seems impossible?  It can be really frustrating to want to change yet not be able to make it happen.  Do you want to improve your posture this year?  Have you been noticing that your head and shoulders are rounded forward?  Or maybe you’ve decided that you’re tired of putting up with that nagging pain in your back.  How can you change your posture and reduce your pain in a way that you can really integrate into your daily life?

I can think of one particular resolution I had for many years before I finally accomplished it.  In 1988-1989 I was in India studying yoga and meditation.  While I was there, I meditated every day for months.  When I got home, I assumed it would be easy to continue the practice.  But somehow, I never seemed to find the time.  I always had some excuse for not doing it.  It was really frustrating to have this goal which seemed so important, but to make no progress on it.

I’ve found that sometimes I have to want it bad enough in order to “just do it”.  Well, I finally said, “I’m going to do it!”  I took a piece of paper and made a chart with the 7 days of the week and little boxes for me to check off if I meditated that day.  I put the paper right on my front door (on the inside!), so that every time I left my house, I had to see it.

That really worked for me!  I would be about to leave the house, and I’d see the paper – blank, with no boxes checked.  I would feel that nagging sense that I should act on this goal.  Then I started saying, “Okay, I’ll just do it for 5 minutes.”  Well, it started with 5 minutes here and there, and gradually I started meditating longer and more often.  After using these sheets for maybe 6 months, I finally realized that I didn’t need them anymore. It had become a new habit!

It is commonly believed that it takes 21 days (Dr. Maxwell Maltz discovered this) or 30 days to change a habit.  Why not use the next 30 days to transform your posture and reduce your pain?

I’ve heard from many students that it’s hard to remember to practice.  Here are some ways that might help you remember to practice (aside from the chart on the door method):

-         Post photos of people with Balanced posture on your refrigerator, at your desk, etc., so that you see them everyday.  You can use the reminder sheets you received in the intro class or the Balance Your Body Foundations program for this.

-         When you see someone who is very “out of Balance”, that’s a great time to practice.  It can remind you of what you want to change.

-         When you see a Balanced person, that also is a great time to practice.  You may see people from other countries with Balanced posture who can model healthy alignment and inspire you to practice.

-         Remember WHY you want to change.  Think about how great it will be when you are pain-free, when you love your posture, etc.  You can use your imagination to flesh out what this will look like, feel like, and sound like.  Getting your senses involved will make it more realistic and be more effective.

-         Come to an intro Balance Method workshop or the Balance Your Body Foundations program for the first time or as a refresher.  Get inspired or re-inspired to practice.

-         Come to weekly Yoga in Balance classes at Sonoma Body Balance.  This is a great way to develop a regular weekly habit of practicing.  The benefits last beyond the class, especially if you remember to practice healthy alignment throughout your day.

-         If you are in pain, practice.  The Balance Method is a simple, effective way to shift out of pain by shifting how you sit, stand, bend, walk, and sleep.  Review what you learned in class or come for a private lesson to get personal attention.

-         Buy a copy of “Good Posture is Bad for Your Back” – my home study course with 4 CDs and a workbook (www.goodpostureisbadforyourback.com)

I hope that this New Year will bring you good health, comfort in your body, and many other blessings.  If you get in the habit of practicing Balanced posture, it will serve you for many years to come.

(© 2010 Dana K. Davis)

According to the National Institutes of Health, low back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion each year. It is a leading cause of missed work and the most common work-related disability. Conventional treatment for back pain includes bed rest, ice, exercise, medications, spinal manipulation, and surgery. Alternative treatments for back pain include acupuncture, yoga and various forms of somatic education.

Some of the causes of back pain, according to the NIH, are trauma to the back, stress, poor posture, aging, and degenerative conditions such as arthritis.  Let’s look at one of these causes – poor posture.

The Problem with “Good Posture”

Why is back pain such a huge problem in the US today?  We’ve all been taught how to have “good posture”, and almost invariably the instructions are “tuck the pelvis, suck the stomach in, lift the chest, shoulders back”.  Does this actually work?

If you have tried this (which most of us have!), you might have noticed that it requires constant muscular holding and tension.  Also, it does not actually straighten the spine, but rather, makes it curvier.  It leads to fatigue, followed by slouching the moment we forget to “sit or stand up straight”.  It’s a never-ending cycle!

A Different Approach

Noelle Perez-Christiaens from Paris, France, and Jean Couch from Palo Alto have done decades of research on populations without back pain.  These people stay active into their old age and do not end up hunched over as we do in the US.  This healthy posture is found in numerous less-industrialized parts of the world.  It is also found in all children under the age of 3, in all countries.  It existed in the US through the 1920’s, when posture began to change as the “flappers” became popular.

These healthy people have several characteristics in common, such as:

1)      They have a tiny arch at the base of the spine, between the sacrum (S1) and lumbar 5 (L5).  This is the deepest indentation in the spine, and the spine is fairly straight above this “natural arch”.
2)      All the support bones of the body (spine, pelvis and legs) are lined up on a vertical axis, which you could see if you held a “plumb line” next to their body (like a carpenter uses to find a true vertical line).  They are aligned with gravity, not fighting it.
3)      They are always in maximum relaxation and do not overly tense their muscles.  Most surprisingly, they don’t hold in their bellies!

Pain-Free Sitting

When you align yourself like this, in “Balance”, you can eliminate pain, lengthen your spine, prevent future painful incidents and find comfort even in airplane seats!  Try an experiment right now to help you find more comfort sitting:

1)      Pick a chair with a flat surface, with a fairly straight back that leans backward at a slight angle.

2)      Stand in front of the chair and bend at your hip crease, letting your sitz bones (ischial tuberosities) move way back.  (Don’t bend past 90 degrees.)

3)      Aim the front of your pelvis towards the chair (We call this the “fig leaf area” – as in where Adam and Eve might place a fig leaf), and sit down.

4)      Now lean against the chair back.  You should feel your sitz bones underneath you.  Resist the tendency to slide forward.

5)      Let your belly relax.

6)      Let your back relax by dropping your chest.  Don’t “sit up”; sit DOWN.  This is a rest.  There’s no need to work at it.

7)      Let your thighs relax and place your ankles underneath your knees.  Your feet point in the same direction as your thighs.

8)      Draw each shoulder back and down separately, and then relax the shoulders.

9)      Draw your chin in and stretch the back of your neck briefly, then relax and let your face come to a vertical position.

10)  Don’t worry about holding any position.  It’s all about placing the bones in alignment, and then relaxing.  In “Balance” we don’t “hold” any particular position.  Just let the chair and your bones support you.

To get more instruction and practice in pain-free sitting, come to a 2-hour Balance  Method workshop. To learn this and more about sitting (including computer sitting, sitting in airplanes & cars), as well as standing, bending, walking, and sleeping, take the Balance Your Body Foundations Program.  For exact dates, visit http://www.sonomabodybalance.com/html/courses.html.

Richard was a tall man – originally over 6 feet. He had noticed that over the years, he had lost height. In fact, he had lost over 6 inches of height over the past few decades. He was diagnosed with osteoporosis, an increasingly common complaint in the US.

According to the Surgeon General’s report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis, “it has been estimated that roughly 10 million individuals over age 50 in the United States have osteoporosis of the hip.” Another 33.6 million have osteopenia of the hip, which puts them at risk of osteoporosis and its symptoms, such as fractures of the hip, wrist and vertebrae.

There are many factors believed to contribute to the development of osteoporosis, including poor nutrition, being physically inactive, and smoking. Julie Halpin, a Certified Nutrition Consultant, suggests that you avoid sodas, eat a mineral-rich diet (with lots of fruits, vegetables & whole grains), and take a supplement with calcium as well as other minerals to balance it. (www.thefoodworks.com)

Stress is also linked with osteoporosis because high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can deplete calcium from bones and interfere with new bone growth. (For help with stress, check out my monthly restorative yoga class or www.solutiontostress.com).

The Forgotten Factor

What I haven’t seen in the media is the recognition of how important posture is for the health of the bones, and prevention or treatment of osteoporosis. When you stand, sit and move “out of Balance” in the typical American posture (such as sitting on the back of your pelvis rather than on your sits bones), you are putting undue strain on the entire body. Since the bones are no longer aligned with gravity, the forces going through them now cause stress and weakening, rather than strengthening the bones.

I’m sure you’ve all heard that weight-bearing exercise is good for building bone and preventing osteoporosis. But what about HOW we bear that weight? This is not addressed in typical discussions of osteoporosis. If you take a person who’s in a curvy posture, and look at them 20 years from now, they will undoubtedly be more curvy.

Healthy people in other cultures that are less industrialized tend to stay on the vertical axis, so gravity goes straight through the major support bones of their body – spine, pelvis and legs. Because they are “on the axis”, gravity doesn’t make them curvier. Some of these people carry large amounts of weight on their heads on a daily basis, with no apparent strain.

Encouraging Results

The good news is that by learning from these healthy, Balanced people, you can lengthen your spine and support the health of all your bones. The Balance Your Body program teaches you how to sit, stand, bend, walk, lie down and drive in comfort – in the optimal alignment with gravity.

Richard took some private Balance sessions with me and practiced Yoga in Balance with Beth Greenfield in Berkeley. He-mailed me a few months ago to say that according to his doctor, he has regained an inch and a half of height in the last year – and he’s in his 80’s! He credits his improvement to this work. He also says, “I found that continued regular practice, also at home, is a key ingredient in maintaining the gain.”

I’ve been teaching Balance since 1997 and I’ve seen my spine straighten and my posture improve noticeably in that time. I’ve also seen positive changes in hundreds of students over the years. With the practice of the Balance Method of postural alignment you can increase your chances of avoiding osteoporosis entirely, and if you have osteoporosis, you can help your bones to stay healthy and strong by aligning with gravity.

I encourage you to come in for a private lesson or sign up for the Balance Your Body program, and do your bones a favor!

The Balance Your Body Foundations Program starts in Petaluma on October 27 and 29, and the next Albany program starts on November 16. For exact dates, visit www.sonomabodybalance.com/courses.

(© 2009 Dana Davis. If you want to use this article in your E-zine or website, please credit Dana Davis, MA, www.sonomabodybalance.com.)

This month I’d like to give you some more tips for gardening pain-free. I’m a beginning gardener, and I’m trying to learn more by taking a Permaculture training at the Regenerative Design Institute (www.regenerativedesign.org). So far, there are SO many gophers in my yard that I’ve lost almost everything I planted there! Luckily, I started a container garden at the same time, which is doing much better!

Last month I talked about Bending following the guidelines of the Balance Method. I’ve read some recommendations for gardeners that say to minimize your bending in the garden. While bending certainly can cause problems if done out of Balance, if you start to raise your garden beds up higher so you don’t have to bend, then you are restricting your movement. Movement is healthy for the body, and it helps us to maintain a healthy range of motion.

The Arthritis Foundation states that “…gardening is a great activity for maintaining joint flexibility, bone density, range of motion and quality of life.” Now, I’ve seen students who have incredibly tight hamstrings, and they are usually bending from their waist. By restricting their movement at the hip joints, their hamstrings just get tighter and tighter.

But, if you bend in Balance, then you are getting a hamstring stretch every time you bend!

What about Lifting?

Now let’s talk about Lifting. This is a common cause of back injuries. One thing we know from studying people with Balanced posture is that they get help when lifting heavy objects. Don’t let the desire to finish a project quickly cause you to forget your alignment or insist on doing it alone (like I mentioned in last month’s article). The pain afterwards isn’t worth it!

If you’ve learned how to bend in Balance, I recommend that you start practicing lifting with light objects first, and when you feel secure with your bending, then attempt to lift heavier objects.

When carrying heavy things, remember to stand and walk in Balance, not leaning backwards like most Americans do. When you stand out of Balance while carrying, you are adding extra weight to an already vulnerable spine. Carry objects close to your body and “brace” with your abdominal muscles. Remember, this is NOT sucking in your stomach.

Take Your Time

It’s important to pace yourself while working in the garden. We’ve observed that people in Balance take their time, especially if they have a job like carrying rocks on their head all day. Remember, you can make multiple trips rather than trying to carry it all at once. You can use a wheelbarrow to help you transport compost or mulch close to where you are working.

To avoid aches & pains as well as repetitive strain injuries (RSI), it’s helpful to warm up your body before doing strenuous work outdoors. A short brisk walk can be good for this. Take breaks periodically and switch tasks, so that you’re not pruning overhead for 3 hours in a row (ouch!). You can also do some stretches afterwards, to help relax those hard-working muscles.

A common cause of soreness is overdoing it in your garden on the weekend, but leading a sedentary life during the week. So it’s helpful to exercise some during the week as well. If you move and exercise in Balance, such as doing Yoga in Balance, you’ll be strengthening the right muscles that you’ll need to use for healthy movement.

Listen to Your Body

Awareness is a really valuable tool to help you here. When you take a break, notice how your body is feeling. You’ll be more likely to avoid problems (to “nip them in the bud”!) if you pause and really feel your body. If you’re in pain, it’s a good time to stop for the day, rather than driving yourself until you’re in agony.

There are so many benefits to gardening: being out in the fresh air, relaxing into the slower pace of nature, and the satisfaction of the harvest. Bring your body into harmony with nature as well, by aligning yourself in Balance, and you’ll enjoy your time outdoors much more.

This time of the year is a busy one for gardeners.  There’s a lot to do in the garden, and when the weather is nice, it’s really pleasant to be outdoors digging in the earth.  There are fragrant smells in the air from flowers, the warmth of the sun on your skin, and ripe vegetables enticing you to pick them.  There’s nothing like a warm Sungold tomato right off the vine!

Unfortunately, all that activity in the garden can also lead to aches & pains.  Digging, raking, pruning and carrying can leave you with pain in lots of places: your back, neck, shoulders, wrists, and knees.  Using the postural techniques of the Balance Method when you move in the garden can make all the difference.  I learned this through a very painful experience.

I had a living Christmas tree that was growing too big for my patio in San Francisco, so I decided to give it away to my sister, who had a bigger yard.  Now, I had learned healthy bending (Bending in Balance) at that time, but I was in a hurry to get this tree in my car.  After rushing to grab the tree, shove it in my car, drive to my sister’s house and pull the tree out of the car, I was relieved to get that task finished and join my family for a trip out of town.

That is, until I bent over to pick up something really light, and felt my back scream! I realized that my lack of awareness in lifting the tree had messed up my back.  It was really painful to get in and out of the car, and if I tried to sit down in a chair in my old posture, I was in too much pain and had to stand up!

Through practicing Balance day and night I was able to get to a place of no pain very quickly.  Sitting, standing and sleeping in Balance provided relief immediately.

So, Balance can help relieve those pains that you may get from overdoing it in the garden.  But I’ve heard it said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  I’d like to give you some tips so that you can hopefully avoid those aches & pains and keep enjoying your garden.  If you want more hands on practice, I’m also available for private sessions in your garden to coach you on your posture, and look for my “Pain-Free Gardening” workshop coming up later this month.

Healthy Bending in the Garden

The most important thing is to stand, bend and walk in Balance in your garden.  If you bring some extra attention to your posture, it will definitely pay off.  Let’s look at Bending.

When I threw my back out, what I had just done was bending and twisting, most likely from the waist.  So, remember, whenever you bend, bend from your hip joints, not from your waist.  This is the place where your legs join your torso, not belt level.  If you stand and lift one knee up, you’ll see the place where your clothing will fold at the top of your leg.  That’s where you should bend.

It’s really helpful to practice this slowly a few times to make sure you really are bending from your hip crease.  Many people think they are doing this, but they are actually rounding their backs and bending from the waist.

Practicing slowly several times will help you to retrain yourself with new, healthy movement patterns.  It’s also helpful to take one hand and feel your back when you are bending.  What’s happening back there?  Do you feel the bones poking way out?  If so, you’ll need to relax your belly and bend more deeply at your hip crease.  Make sure your knees are at least slightly bent, and that your feet are at least hip width from each other.

What if you touch your back and you feel a deep indentation instead?  This is common in more flexible people.  This means you are probably lifting your chest and over-arching your back.  You’ll need to drop your front ribs, and you may even need to use your abdominal muscles to stabilize your torso while bending.

One more detail about bending: never twist when you are bending!  This is really important!  This is how I hurt my back.  I’ve also heard this from many people – “I just bent over and twisted and then I felt this sharp pain in my back.”  When you are bending, keep your entire body facing the same direction.  When you need to turn, use your feet and turn your whole body at the same time, rather than twisting at the waist.

This doesn’t mean that you should never twist.  Just don’t twist when bending or carrying weight – only twist a straight spine.

Watch for a future post with more tips on pain-free Gardening.  I’d also like to recommend the workshops and sustainability tours of Daily Acts (www.dailyacts.org), if you want to learn more and get inspired about how your actions can make a difference.  I wish you many enjoyable hours in your garden.  Pay attention to your bending and you won’t have to “pay” for your time spent in your garden!

Do you have a question about posture that you would like answered in this E-zine?  Comment below; I’d love your suggestions.

If you are suffering with back or joint pain, or you hate your posture, you’ve come to the right place!

Here you’ll learn tips to keep your back and all your joints healthy while simultaneously improving your posture.  You can practice the postural alignments of the Balance Method anywhere – in your car, at work, in bed, and when exercising.  You don’t need any special equipment either!

The Balance Method is based on the work of Noelle Perez-Christiaens from Paris, France, and further developed by Jean Couch of the Balance Center in Palo Alto, CA.

Welcome to a world of new possibilities for pain-free posture that helps you look better and feel better naturally!