How to Straighten Your Back

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This article was co-written by Robert Borer, DC. Dr. Borer is a Chiropractor in Michigan, where he runs a family-owned chiropractic business with his wife, Dr. Sherri Borer. He received his PhD in Chiropractic Medicine from Palmer College in Iowa in 1999. His clinic won the 2015 Patient’s Choice award in Saline, Michigan.

There are 20 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 14,752 times.

A hunched or hunched back can lead to painful syndromes that get worse over time. Trying to keep your back straight will help ease symptoms as you get older.

Table of Contents

Identify the wrong posture

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Know what good posture is. The first step in improving your posture is to realize what good posture looks like in yourself. Keeping your shoulders back, draw your abs and open your chest. Stand sideways in front of a mirror and see if you can form a straight line from your earlobes down to your shoulders, hips, knees, and finally mid-ankle.

Head and neck: Make sure that the head is straight from the shoulders. Many people have a tendency to put their head forward. If your ears are in line with the front of your chest, pull your head back. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Shoulders, arms, and hands: Arms and hands should be relaxed on either side of the body. Then the shoulders will be in a good position. If the arms fall in front of the chest, pull the shoulders back. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Hips: Find a comfortable position in between the two poses that bring the hips far forward and back. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Recognize pain and discomfort. The most obvious sign of bad posture is back, shoulder, and neck pain. Poor posture causes chest muscles to contract, upper back muscles to relax to compensate. Overall, the result is weak back muscles, leading to muscle pain and discomfort. Because all muscles need to work together, when one muscle mass is not working effectively, other muscles will also be affected. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Not everyone feels pain and discomfort from poor posture. Our bodies have a remarkable ability to regulate and compensate.

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Check if your foot is “flipped in”. This is the case where the soles of the feet are almost completely flat, often referred to as “flat feet”. The feet are the lowest balance mechanism in the body. When you stand in the wrong position, you put pressure on your feet to work harder to maintain balance. This causes the foot to gradually become “flat” so that a stronger support structure can be formed. As posture improves, most of the body weight is put on the heels, releasing the rest and maintaining the arch of the foot. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

While “flat feet” themselves are a sign of poor posture, you may also experience pain in your feet, ankles, calves, knees, hips, and lower legs in general. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Rate your mood. San Francisco State University conducted a study that asked students to walk down the hall in a slouched or upright position and bounce. The results showed an increase in depression and lethargy in those who slouch. As strange as it may seem, think more about this. Body language often shows your overall mood. You sit crouched in the corner, arms crossed over your chest when you feel angry or sad. You hold your head high when you’re happy. So why can’t status tell something about body posture? If you’re feeling down, improve your posture. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Improve your posture

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Remind yourself to stand up straight. Set a reminder to check your posture in your phone or computer. Put notes for yourself around the house, in the car, and in the office. Sometimes all you need to be able to maintain good posture is to constantly remind and strengthen the posture. Besides strengthening your back muscles, you also need to reset your routine. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Yoga. Yoga is especially good for improving posture. Some of the best exercises include:

Cobra Pose: Lie on your stomach, with your hands under your shoulders, fingers facing forward. Next, keep your elbows close to your body and try to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Make sure that in this position, the back is stabilized by contracting the abdominal muscles. Then, slowly lift your chest up with your neck held in an extended position. Use your hands to support and use your back muscles to pull you up. Hold for 10 breaths and lower yourself down. Repeat 3 times. ^{[9] X Research Source}
Child’s Pose: Kneel, arms raised above head, palms facing each other. Next, exhale and slowly bend forward. Lower your forehead to the floor and stretch your arms forward, pressing your palms to the floor. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat six times. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Mountain pose: Stand upright, feet flat on the floor, heels slightly apart. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both feet. Lift the inside of the ankle so that the foot appears to be cupped. Extend your shoulders and try to touch them. Gradually relax. Finally, raise your arms overhead, looking straight ahead. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Do other exercises and stretches to improve your posture. These techniques need to focus specifically on the abs and back because they are the muscles that support the spine. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Squeeze the shoulder blades together. Imagine that you are using your shoulder blades to hold the ball. Try to squeeze the ball by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds. This move will help strengthen the front shoulder – the part that is most likely to tighten when in the wrong position.
Shoulder rotation. Rotate one shoulder forward, up, back, and down. Imagine that you are sliding your shoulder blades down your spine. Repeat with the other shoulder. This move helps to reposition the shoulders back as usual.
Chest tension. Roll up a towel or piece of cloth and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the towel so that they are stretched and your hands are shoulder-width apart. Inhale and lift your arms to shoulder height. Then, exhale and pull your arms up and back as much as you can. Hold for two breaths, lower your arms and repeat. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Adjustment in daily life

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Choose the right handbag. Choose a handbag, briefcase, or backpack that distributes weight evenly across your entire shoulder. Choose one that is wide, padded, and can be worn over both shoulders. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Choose shoes with support. The constant use of high heels or thin loafers will increase the burden on the back. Look for shoes with a supportive sole, a square toe, and a heel that’s 3cm lower. Larger heels will shift your body weight forward, causing you to slouch or over-adjust yourself – similarly, it’s also bad for your back. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Learn to sit at the table. Feet should touch the floor, back should be straight, and neck should be in a neutral position. This pose helps relieve pain and straightens the back. You can also use an ergonomic chair to sit upright and get comfortable. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Adjust your sleeping habits. Consider sleeping on your side, with your hips bent about 30˚. Bend knees also about 30˚. Finally, move your neck slightly forward on the pillow to stretch the spine.

If you sleep on your back, consider placing pillows under your knees and rolled towels under your back. It will help reduce pressure on the back, relieve pain and lengthen the back.
When sleeping on your side, you can place a pillow between your knees to keep your hips straight.
Avoid lying on your stomach. Lying on your stomach puts unnecessary pressure on the spine and can lead to spondylolisthesis. It can also lead to chronic neck and lower back pain in the future. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Practice proper lifting technique. Improper lifting and carrying heavy objects can lead to severe back pain. When lifting heavy loads, you should wear a back support belt, a device that helps maintain good posture when lifting. Besides, you also need to maintain the correct posture:

Bend your knees, not your waist. Unlike leg and abdominal muscles, back muscles are not designed to help you lift and carry heavy objects. When lifting something, make sure that instead of bending your back, you are only bending

knees, thereby avoiding pressure on the lower back.

Hold the object close to the chest. The closer the objects are to the chest, the less the back has to do in holding them. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Find an expert

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Go to the doctor. If you have severe back or spinal curvature and find it difficult to stand upright, you should talk to your doctor. Maybe you have a curvature or some other spine-related problem. Your doctor may ask you to wear a brace. Only in the most severe cases do doctors recommend spine surgery. Many other remedies can also help improve your back pain. ^{[19] X Research Source}

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Find an egoscue expert. They are experts in posture therapy. Among other things, they will focus on your symptoms (if any), as well as your posture and gait. They’ll teach you how to stretch your back — focus on problem areas, then build exercises and stretches you can do at home. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

Most of these exercises aim to increase range of motion in the hips and lengthen the spine, reducing tension along the spine. ^{[21] X Research Source}
If the problem is less severe, you may consider working with a personal trainer only. Discuss that you want to focus on the muscles that lead to better posture (mainly the lateral muscles). They will give you general exercises and stretches to help improve your posture. ^{[22] X Research Source}

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Consult a chiropractor. They will take some X-rays of your back and spine so they can measure the exact curvature of your spine and determine if the problem is serious. The chiropractor may also examine each vertebra to determine the possibility of deformity, slip, or misalignment. Many cases can be treated in a clinic, but if a more serious problem is found, a therapist will refer you to a specialist. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Regular use of massage services. Constant stress and tension can cause the back muscles to stretch and appear hunched. If you have a stressful life, you should include massage in your daily routine. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Similarly, regularly sitting in a massage chair also helps relieve stress. However, it cannot focus on the areas that need the most treatment like service from a trained masseuse.

Steps

Identify the wrong posture

Improve your posture

Adjustment in daily life

Find an expert

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