Suffering with back pain is not easy. I know because I have suffered with it myself on and off for years. One of the main issues causing the pain was poor posture. Sitting all day at work slumped over the computer really doesn’t help. So I decided to try a posture corrector. Having done quite a bit of research I settled on what I consider to be the best posture brace.
Having first consulted my Physical Therapist he said that “your next posture is your best posture”. While I thought that sounded great I didn’t really understand it so I asked him to explain.
Your next posture is your best posture
Essentially it means that you are more self aware when it comes to your posture throughout the day. By being more aware you will make an effort to improve your posture and therefore hopefully improve it overtime. Now all that sounds great in principal but what about actually applying it.
When your tired and not actively focusing on your posture you will probably slouch. This is particularly the case when sitting. That could be at your desk at work, in your car or during a marathon netflix session at home.
If you want to make a change then you basically need to sit up and engage your back and shoulder muscles and hold a position as close to correct posture as you can. This begins to train your muscles into this position by stretching those that have become tightened. It also strengthens those that have been underused due to your poor posture habits.
I failed miserably
Now before we go any further let me tell you that I tried this approach and I failed. Why? because I got busy and forgot and really only remembered to correct myself from time to time. This was never going to help me. I was back with the Physical therapist and he said I wasn’t making much progress.
So what did I do when presented with this challenge? I would love to tell you I rose about it and took it on and won but that would be a lie. So I did what any self respecting guy with a busy schedule does. I cheated!
I jumped onto amazon and ordered myself a Posture Brace – Posture Corrector. Just a basic one to try it out.
No products found.
So what does the posture brace do?
No need for rocket science here. It does exactly what it says on the box. You put it on and you immediately realise just how out of shape your muscles are. Once you have it adjusted it holds you in a position of corrected posture. Everytime you slouch back into your old habits the tension on it works against you and your almost automatically corrected.
While I was aware of it a lot initially I found that it strained less and less as I started to naturally adopt the new position it held me in. I felt a lot taller and also noticed that tension I had previously in my neck started to ease. To be honest I hadn’t even realised my neck was tense. Amazing how you don’t even know your not feeling right until you feel what it should be like.
Posture Corrector – the downside?
OK, so less back ache, less neck ache and feeling taller is all great but was there any downside? The main issue I had with the posture brace was the fitting of it. Since I had just purchased the relatively cheap one I found it dug into my skin a little under my arms. With prolonged wear this did start to cause a bit of irritation.
I suppose it really depends how often and for how long you plan to wear it. For me it was quite a few weeks to get me into the habit so I would guess you would be doing the same.
Although I haven’t used it myself, the comfort posture corrector was recommended to me as a possible solution to the underarm irritation. It is a more expensive but more comprehensive product and the fitting is different to take the pressure away from the underarm. It also has the added benefit of a stomach belt which ads extra support and as an added bonus helps you be more aware of engaging your core.
Apart from that the only other thing was to remember to put it on each morning. I found after one or two days of forgetting it just became a habit so it didn’t cause me to much trouble.
Is it for you?
As with any health issues its always wise to consult with your doctor or in the case of back pain and posture, your Physical Therapist or Chiropractor. A good corrective exercise program would be of great benefit. Pilates for example is a great place to start if your looking for a good solution that also offers a host of other benefits.
With all that said if you want an easy and quick solution to get you started on the right track give a posture brace a go. I’m happy with my results overall and plan to maintain my new and improved posture well into the future. Give it a try and let me know how you get on below.
