Which of the 5 Posture Types Are You?

Posture is something that plays an important role in our everyday lives. Your posture can actually affect how you feel. Good posture can provide you with higher energy levels, more confidence, relief of neck tension, migraine relief, prevent back and shoulder issues, and support for already existing chronic back pains.

There are 5 different types of posture problems including:

• Healthy Posture
• Kyphosis Posture
• Flat Back Posture
• Swayback Posture
• Forward Head Posture

If you are experiencing any posture-related neck or back pain, read on to determine which posture type or condition you have and what is causing it.

1. Good Posture

   As displayed in the graphic above, having good posture should keep your body aligned. When standing, if you have your ears lined up over your shoulders, your shoulders lined over your hips, and your hips aligned over your ankles, you stand with healthy posture. Good sitting posture includes two flat feet on the ground, engaged core, upright shoulders, and an even distribution of weight on both hips. Sitting cross legged can cause misalignment of your hips and spine. Practicing good posture and keeping your spine aligned are the most important things you can do for your back. Continue practicing strong posture and poise while standing and while seated to avoid any future complications.

2. Kyphosis

   Kyphosis is a common condition that results in forward rounding of your upper back region. Compared to natural curves which have a curvature around 20-50 degrees, kyphosis has an excess curve greater than 50 degrees. This causes a hunching back and makes you appear to be slouching. Kyphosis can be seen at any age but is most commonly seen in older women after osteoporosis weakens the bones in the spine until they crack and compress. If you suffer from kyphosis, you may be experiencing back pain or stiffness and have rounded shoulders. A shoulder posture brace will assist in training your shoulders to fall back in their natural alignment.

3. Flat Back

   As mentioned before, the spine has a natural curve. It has two curves forming an “S” like shape. When you have flatback syndrome the spine loses the lower curve and becomes flat. This causes the spine to become imbalanced and the person tends to lean forward. If you have flat back you may have trouble standing up straight or having constant back or leg pain. The flat back syndrome may develop due to degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, or ankylosing spondylitis. If this is you, we recommend giving BraceAbility’s LSO Back Brace a try!

4. Swayback (Lordosis)

   Everyone has a natural curve in their spine, it is called lordosis. But when your posture exaggerates this spinal curve, it can cause hyperlordosis or swayback. When this condition occurs, the spine curves inward at the lower back and neck area. It usually causes back pain and discomfort as well as affecting your ability to move. When you suffer from lordosis or swayback it may appear that you are sticking out your stomach and buttocks. It also causes your shoulders to sit further back and your head tilts forward. This will throw off your balance and force your lower back to work harder. This posture condition can be caused by many different things including:

   • Osteoporosis
   • Kyphosis
   • Obesity
   • Pregnancy
   • High Heels
   • Stomach Sleeping

   If you think this is your posture, plan to ditch the heels and try sleeping on your side or back. You could also benefit from a posture corrector to correct any spine deformity.

5. Forward Neck or Head

   In this posture position, the neck and head are in a forward position where the head is extending out past the shoulders. It is more common today than ever for people to experience something called “tech neck”, caused by constantly hunching over our phones and computers all day resulting in a forward neck tilt. You may be experiencing tension, stiffness, or pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. The body will follow where your head goes, so if your head is forward, your shoulders and back will also hunch forward. Anyone can benefit from posture support  considering how fast technology is growing in our lives. Your neck is designed to stay vertical to support the weight of your skull, which on average is about 10-12 pounds. Every inch that your head falls forward, it adds another 10 pounds of stress on the neck, shoulders, back, and spine.

How to Fix Posture

An easy way to improve poor posture is to implement a back posture corrector. If you are having a hard time maintaining good posture, we recommend trying a posture support brace and/or participating in exercises to improve your posture. A posture brace will help train your body to sit up straight and posture exercises will help strengthen your core, back, and shoulder muscles to help hold your body in the ideal postural alignment, no matter what posture type you have. Check out our options for posture supports today!

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