Posture, Pain and Chiropractic Care

Many people come in worried about their posture. They want to know whether it is causing their pain and whether a chiropractor can fix it. The research gives a less tidy answer than "stand up straight."

What the research says about posture and pain

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) reviewed the evidence in a clinical guide on posture. It states that "current evidence does not support the dichotomous idea of 'good' and 'bad' posture being linked to pain." It reports that forward head posture was not correlated with the incidence of neck pain in adolescents and older adults. For low back pain, it says risk was strongly correlated with more time spent sitting, but not with the seated posture itself.

That does not make posture irrelevant. The same guide says specific postural advice may be necessary when there is clear pathology, which means a diagnosed problem. For most people, though, it says "movement and changing positions to reduce time in sustained postures are likely more important than posture itself."

What that means day to day

You don't need a perfect posture. You do need to avoid staying in one position for hours. If you work at a desk, the guide's advice points toward getting up, changing position and moving often, more than finding the ideal chair angle. Our ergonomic and lifestyle advice page covers practical setup tips.

Where chiropractic care fits

We don't claim that adjustments correct posture, because the sources don't show it. What the sources do support is narrower. The American College of Physicians (ACP) guideline for low back pain lists spinal manipulation among the non-drug options, alongside heat, massage and acupuncture for acute and subacute pain. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says manipulation "may lead to small improvements in both pain and function" for low back pain.

If your pain is the reason you are thinking about your posture, the useful first step is working out what is causing the pain.

Next step

If posture or pain is limiting you, book online or call 484.455.4664. Keep It Kinetic Chiropractic is at 3254 W Ridge Pike, Suite 202, Pottstown, PA 19464.