Proper Ergonomics to Maintain Healthy Posture at Home

At Modern Chiropractic Center we focus on improving and often times correcting the cause of our patients issues. For many patients, poor posture is at the root of their complaints. We utilize proven and effective methods to correct posture within our clinics and provide our patients with the knowledge and tools necessary for them to continue to work on their posture and spinal health at home. One of our points of emphasis that we find important to help our patients understand is how their ergonomics may be affecting their posture negatively and what to focus on in order to improve these ergonomics.

Proper ergonomics are those that allow the body and spine to remain in a healthy neutral position. Unhealthy ergonomics, therefore, are those that place the body and spine in an improper position. When we have unhealthy ergonomics our bodies can mold into these improper positions over time and create postural dysfunctions, which can then lead to an increased likelihood of future pain, disability and decreased quality of life. The four positions that we find our patients most often need ergonomic assistance with are as follows:

• Cell phone viewing position
• Sleeping position
• Driving position
• Workplace sitting position

In this article we will discuss proper ergonomics in each of these four positions to ensure you don’t make the common mistakes that we often associate with poor posture.

Cell phone viewing position

• Sit with your hips against the back of your chair
• Keep your torso against the backrest of your chair
• Center your torso above your hips
• Bring your phone up to eye level instead of bringing your head down to the level of your phone

Sleeping position

The two sleeping positions that allow for healthy body positioning are side sleeping and back sleeping. Stomach sleeping is not recommended.

Tip: firm mattresses are recommended as they support the body better than soft mattresses.

Proper side sleeping:

1. Rest your head on a pillow that allows your head to be evenly positioned over your shoulders (Pictured in the photo below to the right). A pillow that is too thin will allow your head to shift towards your bed (Pictured in the photo below to the left). A pillow that is too thick will shift your head away from your bed (Pictured in the photo below in the middle).
2. Keep your back straight (no fetal position)
3. Stack your shoulders on top of one another (do not rotate your body forward or backward)
4. Place a pillow in between your knees (this will allow your hips to remain in a neutral position)
5. Keep your hips and knees bent at about 45 degrees

Proper back sleeping:

1. Rest your head on a pillow that allows your ears to align with your shoulders. Using multiple pillows or a pillow that is too thick will push your head forward and your ears will shift out in front of your shoulders. (Pictured below)
2. Place a pillow under your knees to minimize pressure in your low back.

Driving position

1. Position the back of your seat in an upright position so that your ears, shoulder, and hips all line up with one another
2. Keep the back of your head on the headrest while looking forward
3. Place your left hand on the left portion of the steering wheel in a location approximate to where the eight would be if the wheel were a clock. Your right hand should be placed on the right portion of the wheel where the four would be located

Workplace Sitting Position

1. Sit with your hips against the back of your chair
2. Keep your torso against the backrest of your chair
3. Sit with your ears, shoulders, and hips in line with one another
4. Center your torso above your hips
5. Stand up every 30 minutes to stretch and walk around

For more help with proper ergonomics or for corrective chiropractic care call our experienced team at Modern Chiropractic Center in Boise or Nampa or fill out our online form.