what problems can poor posture cause??

[james1321]

my posture isnt great i tend to either sit hunched over my laptop or slumped down in my sofa and i tend to sleep on my sofa a lot. could these be what is causing the aches and pains in my upper back and chest?? obviously with health anxiety when my chest hurts i think heart but i ve had tests and my therapist has introduced exercise in to my recovery as i was really unfit and i started of doing between 1-3 mins straight skipping now i am up to 15 mins straight skipping. so just wondered what poor posture can cause
cheers guys

[Irish Sammie]

Hey James,

From personal experience, a bad posture can create huge problems over a long term basis. For me, I used to get pricking pains (more discomforting than anything) on my left and right chest and sometimes in the center of my chestplate. Not only that, but my lumbar area (lower back) would get numb after a while of sitting, which meant I was compressing a nerve, which would then make the outside portion of my upper thighs numb. That worried me as all sorts of negative possibilities run through your mind. I'm now more active, I'm not sitting around as much as I used to and I'm making a more conscious effort to sit correctly. I don't experience any of those discomforts anymore because my own personal situation changed and It didn't allow me to spend the time that I wanted to sitting around.

If you're spending a lot of time sitting, you're more than likely at the computer alone. That's just a horrible concoction for those of us suffering from anxiety and panic disorder. Some of those pains could be conjured by anxiety, but some could be conjured by bad posture. Getting more active, whether it's eating healthier and getting out for an hour's long walk every day will improve that. I'm eating healthy, and walking up the side of a mountain everyday now and I'm already starting to see improvement. I used to be quite lazy admittingly, and from the sounds of it you are too. If you want to give your body every chance it can to work out your other issues, make sure your natural level of health isn't part of those problems. Having issues created from a lack of activity on top of issues created by anxiety is just a double whammy that's not needed. Exercise is also hugely important for the road of recovery too. Sleeping well, eating well, exercising well (though don't over do it, atleast at the start....baby steps). These are all vital.

One thing that being in the situation I'm in, is that it allows you to reflect on your life and really work on yourself. Many people without our condition might go on for years ignoring things they need to sort out. Use this as a time to heal yourself and be happy with yourself. If you need a chat, message me whenever ;)

[Joshua12]

congrats :) i ll also work on my posture

[james1321]

thanks sammie sounds like you have a lot of experience with anxiety. much appreciated