The human spine has four natural curves that form an “s” shape. When you adopt a poor posture, the spine experiences pressure, which in turn influences the spine curves to change their positions, gradually. The spine is designed to help absorb shock and keep you balanced. So as the spinal position changes, this ability gets compromised.

Poor postures also leads to sore muscles. As you slouch, your muscles have to work harder to keep the spine stabilised and protected. The extra work causes muscles tightness and fatigue, leading to chronic issues with tight, sore muscles all the way from the neck down to the lower back.

When you have back pain, you may tend to adopt an unnatural posture out of the fear of creating more pain. Do not do this unless there’s a fracture or some serious problem, as you might get used to the wrong posture.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you might be suffering from posture-related back/ neck problems.

• Persistent, recurring back pain; worsens during certain days
• Pain that starts in the neck and radiates downwards into the upper back, lower back and extremities
• Pain that goes away/reduces if you change the way you are standing or sitting
• Sudden back pain after you’ve used a new chair, seat in your new car etc.
• Pain in the back of the neck; worsens towards the end of the day
• Neck pain that radiates down to the shoulder blades and upper back, potentially causing a variety of conditions like trigger points in the muscles, which are points of tenderness and painful to touch, along with limited range of motion

• The first step to achieving a good posture is to keep correcting the poor posture consciously and consistently – be it when you are sitting or standing. This trains you to start adopting a good posture automatically.
• Identify the signs of back pain caused by poor posture and ergonomics
• Align your body/ distribute equal body weight while sitting in an office chair or standing
• Get up, stretch, move and change your sitting position often
• Use posture-friendly props lumbar back support pillows and ergonomic office chairs when sitting
• Use back-friendly bags and distribute weight to both shoulders
• Exercise to strengthen your back and neck
• Wear good quality, supportive footwear
• Maintain a good posture all the time, even when walking and lying down
• If possible, personalize your office/ workspace in an ergonomic way to suit your back problems
• If possible, personalize your office/ workspace in an ergonomic way to suit your back problems

By improving your posture and if require, physical therapy (to ease the muscles if the back or neck pain is chronic) you can get rid of your posture-related back and neck pain pretty easily. However, if the pain persists and gets unbearable, seek medical help immediately.