Building on the prior page, the following five points highlight important ways to improve posture in the workplace, helping to reduce back and neck pain and stiffness.

Regular exercise such as walking, swimming, or bicycling will help the body stay aerobically conditioned, while specific strengthening exercises will help the muscles surrounding the back to stay strong. These benefits of exercise promote good posture, which will, in turn, further help to condition muscles and prevent injury.

There are also specific exercises that will help maintain good posture. In particular, a balance of core muscle and back muscle strength is essential to help support the upper body and maintain good posture.

See Exercise and Back Pain

7. Wear supportive footwear when standing

Avoid regularly wearing high-heeled shoes, which can affect the body’s center of gravity and induce compensatory alignment of the entire body, thus negatively affecting back support and posture.

When standing for long periods of time, propping a leg up on a foot rest, wearing supportive shoe orthotics, or placing a rubber mat on the floor can improve comfort.

8. Remember good posture and ergonomics when in motion

Simply walking, lifting heavy materials, holding a telephone, and typing are all moving activities that require attention to ergonomics and posture. It is important to maintain good posture even while moving to avoid injury, walking tall with shoulders back for example.

Back injuries are especially common while twisting and/or lifting and often occur because of awkward movement and control of the upper body weight alone.

9. Create ergonomic physical environments and workspaces, such as sitting in an office chair at a computer

It does require a small investment of time to personalize the workspace, home, and car, but the payoff will be well worth it. Undue strain will be placed on the structures of the spine unless the office chair, desk, keyboard, and computer screen, etc. are correctly positioned.

It's much easier and less time consuming to correct everyday ergonomics and minimize back or neck pain than to add doctor visits and corrective therapies for debilitating pain conditions.

See Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair

10. Avoid overprotecting posture

Remember that it is important to maintain an overall relaxed posture. Avoid restricting movements by clenching muscles or adopting an unnatural, stiff posture. For individuals who already have some back or neck pain, it's a natural tendency to limit movements to avoid provoking increased pain.

However, unless there is a fracture or other serious problem, the structures in the spine are designed for movement and any limitation in motion over a long period of time creates more pain and a downward cycle of less motion and more pain.

See How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain

The above changes are relatively easy to make and will pay off in terms of a healthier spine and less pain and stiffness over time.

Dr. Kelly Andrews is a chiropractor at the Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin. She has more than 25 years of experience providing chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy. In addition to her experience treating back and neck pain, Dr. Andrews provides nutritional counseling. She is a published author of a guide and workbook for an anti-inflammatory diet.