Could Poor Posture Be Causing Your Back Pain? This Graphic Reveals If You're Standing Correctly

Graphic Reveals The Worst Posture For Back Pain

Experts are urging women to pay more attention to their posture in order to limit the number of us suffering from back pain.

According to research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), the average age a woman starts to suffer from back or neck pain is just 34.

Researchers said poor posture has taken over from big boobs and weight problems as the most common cause of back pain.

They've created a handy graphic to help women identify their current standing position and figure out how it can be improved.

In a survey of more than 1,200 women, researchers found that those whose heads lean forward are most likely to be currently suffering from back or neck pain (58%), followed by those with an arched back (56%).

Women whose heads lean forward are also likely to suffer from back or neck pain "every day".

Those with a flat back were the least likely to experience pain, with 21% saying they never experienced pain.

One quarter of women say that a bout of back or neck pain can last for one to three days at a time - so it's important to pinpoint what can be done to prevent it.

Fortunately, making changes to your posture can be achieved by changing a few simple habits.

Tim Hutchful from the BCA explains: "The perfect posture should give you a neutral side-on appearance, with your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in line.

"People who want to improve their back and neck pain symptoms through a better posture should try imagining they have a plumb line hanging straight from their ears to ankles - with everything in the middle sitting on the same line.

"One way to do this is to try standing in a relaxed way and then gently contracting the abdominal muscles. When sitting, the gravity line should pass through ear, shoulder and hip."

For more information on how to maintain a healthy posture and avoid triggering neck and back pain, visit the BCA website.

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