Posture lesson for Dave

 A common question at Lonsdale Chiropractic and Health is “what is the correct posture for my low  back pain ?”.  As a Chiropractor I have been trained extensively on this topic.  To understand posture we should first have a basic understanding of musculoskeletal function. Posture should not be a static position but a sustained isometric contraction of muscle groups under your control. Sounds complicated and it is. If we stand using as little energy as possible we are in fact balancing on our joints . This balancing act may be suitable for knees, ankles, and hips for a certain length of time. However, as we use the spine and its secondary curves in the standing position, we are relying on ligaments of joint complexes as well as intrinsic stabilizing muscles that  may not be able to recover. The trick is to use muscles that you can control. And when they need to recover you are able to rest them. More specifically, if we stand using our calf , quad and abdominal  muscles when we sit or lay down we can allow them to recover. To do this I came up with the “Rule of 4”. 1- Stand on the balls of your feet, 2- slightly flex your knees and engage your calf muscles, 3- engage your quads, and 4- engage your abdominal muscles. In this position your low back should feel like it is floating. It is tiring and takes a bit to get use to but over time your conditioning will improve . By adopting this posture technique you will have control of muscle recovery.