“Stand up straight!” has been a refrain from parents throughout the ages, but is it really that important? Actually – yes, it is!
Many people assume maintaining proper posture is about appearance: looking tall and confident. In reality, improper posture can cause pain in your neck and upper back and put pressure on your spine, leading to an increased injury risk.
But what exactly is proper posture? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that it’s more complicated than merely standing up straight. Instead, it’s more about finding the right spinal alignment for your body – and that’s something the physical therapists at MMA Sports Rehab can help you with!
If you’re struggling with persistent neck or back pain, it may be time to visit us for a postural assessment. We’ll help pinpoint any impairments or imbalances in your spine that might be causing problems and then provide strategies for maintaining your postural alignment throughout the day.
Call us to schedule an appointment for your initial consultation!
Understanding Proper Posture: Movement and Awareness is Key
Let’s get this out of the way first: There’s no universal “ideal posture” that will work for everyone. Even common advice like “stand up straight” isn’t particularly helpful: for one, no one’s spine is ever perfectly straight since it has a natural curve pattern. For another, you don’t spend your entire life standing still.
Rather than aiming for a non-existent “perfect” posture, you want to focus on two things:
Postural Awareness:
People don’t set out to have bad posture. You might start the day telling yourself you’re not going to slouch – but then, as you get busy with other tasks, posture becomes the last thing on your mind. By staying more aware of your posture, you can more easily adapt to the various positions you have to hold throughout the day.
Avoid Prolonged Postures:
Your body wants to move. Holding the same posture for extended periods (even if you’re sitting up straight and have everything in alignment) is still going to cause problems! Rather than aiming for a “perfect” posture, make sure to change your positions throughout the day. Alternate between sitting and standing. Switch positions. Get up and move around. In short – try to stay as active as possible.
The Relationship Between Posture and Pain
Neck and back pain have several potential causes and contributing factors. Improper posture is often one of them.
When you lose your postural awareness and start to slouch, it puts extra strain on the muscles that support your spine, particularly the muscles in your neck and upper back. This can lead to overuse injuries that cause pain or restricted mobility.
Remaining in prolonged postures (particularly sitting) also puts extra strain on your back muscles. When you get up and move around – even if it’s just for a few minutes – you relieve that pressure. Staying active also helps strengthen the muscles of your back and core, which helps prevent common musculoskeletal injuries that can cause pain and dysfunction.
Physical Therapy’s Role in Improving Posture
When you visit us for your appointment, here’s what we’ll do to help you improve your posture and reduce your back and neck pain:
- We start with a comprehensive postural assessment. We’ll take a look at your posture when you’re sitting, standing, and moving, looking for potential areas of dysfunction. We’ll also take a complete health history and might run some additional screens, too, testing for strength, mobility, balance, and more.
- We help with any acute pain. Manual therapy techniques and targeted mobility exercises can help relieve your pain and help you get your body’s function back.
- We help strengthen any weak muscles: Targeted strengthening exercises will help correct any muscular imbalances stemming from improper posture, providing better support and stability to your spine.
- We offer personalized postural corrections: The final piece of the puzzle helps ensure lasting relief. We’ll provide a customized postural improvement plan that speaks to your unique needs and impairments.
Start Improving Your Posture Today!
Fixing improper posture isn’t a one-and-done affair, but a visit to MMA Sports Rehab can help you get started.
Call us to schedule your appointment today!
Get Back to Your Best Self at MMA Sports Rehab
Rediscover your strength and get back to your best self at MMA Sports Rehab! Schedule your next appointment today and experience the top-notch care that helped you before.
10 Year Anniversary
MSR 10th Anniversary at Top Golf’s with Leadership Award to Dr. Dani, Dr. Bri and Ms. Ayesha.
Clinic News
MSR won Top Vote getter from Best of Arlington, Arlington Magazine 2025
Dr. Ujjwal Attended GWU’s Anatomy Cadaver Lab
Erick Hooten, PTA is attending FDM course in Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
A Special Thanks from MMA Sports Rehab
“We now have 300 Google 5-star reviews and more than 600 5-star reviews. We want to show our gratitude to our well-wishers, friends, family, community, and our beloved patients for their continued trust with their health care/rehab. We love you and we are here because of YOU! Thank You!!!” – MSR Family
Stealthy Exercises To Do At Your Work Desk
While some people struggle to exercise regularly due to pain or busy If you have an office job, it’s essential that you take breaks from sitting. Prolonged sitting strains our back and neck muscles, leading to pain and other impairments.
One way to combat this is to set a timer to go off every 30 minutes to an hour, reminding you to stop what you’re doing and take a few minutes to move: for instance, get up and walk around the office or do some simple stretches.
But sometimes, that’s just not possible. Fortunately, these stealth exercises allow you to work your core and back muscles without drawing a lot of attention to yourself.
- Core Activation: Sit up tall in your chair with your pelvis tilted forward. Squeeze your core muscles tightly and hold for 15 seconds (don’t forget to breathe). Then, release and repeat. You can build the intensity by lifting one foot at a time as you engage your core.
- Seated Twists: Sit up tall with your core activated. Take a deep breath in. Then, as you exhale, twist to one side. There, take five deep breaths, then return to facing the front. Repeat the process on the other side.
- Chair Squats: If you don’t need to be super-stealthy, chair squats are a good way to get some movement in. Push your chair away from your desk so you can stand up without using your hands. Then move to sit back down–but stop right before you hit the chair. Repeat as many times as you need.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“If I could give 10 stars, I would. I injured myself during a soccer scrimmage and called all over on a Saturday, desperate to find some help. MMA and Sports Rehab accommodated me on such short notice, and did not turn me away because I was a new patient. Dr. Ujjwal was patient and attentive and walked me through a starting plan. My joint sprain is miles better than it was for. Eric has been my PT and he’s the best! Always helpful, knowledgeable and gives lots of great tips to take home with you. The entire staff is great from the moment you walk in. I highly recommend MMA and Sports Rehab!!”
-Shadia H.
Easy Valentine’s Day Champagne Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- 1 (18.25 oz) white cake mix
- 1 1/4 cups Champagne/sparkling white wine at room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup Champagne or other sparkling white wine at room temperature
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Mix cake mix and 1 1/4 cup Champagne in a large mixing bowl; stir in vegetable oil and eggs. Beat batter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pans for 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling, about 30 more minutes. Mix butter, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup Champagne, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir in remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread on cooled cupcakes.
Meet Our Team
Dr. Ujjwal Shakya
Physical Therapist, DPT, DMT, SCS, FNCP
Dr. Brianna Wynn
PT, DPT, Barbell Rehab Method Certified, USA Weightlifting Coach Level 1 & 2 Certified
Dr. Barz Kim
PT, DPT, Cert. DN Level 1 & 2
Ayesha Samudralanka
Patient Service Specialist
