Worried Your Posture Is Terrible? Let’s Talk About What That Actually Means.
Head poking forward.
Shoulders rounded.
Upper back hunched over a laptop.
Maybe you’ve caught yourself sideways in a mirror and thought:
When did I start standing like that?
Or perhaps someone has been telling you for years to “sit up straight.”
Posture gets blamed for an extraordinary number of things, from neck pain and headaches to shoulder tension, back pain and apparently every bodily complaint experienced by anyone who’s ever owned a laptop.
The reality is more nuanced.
There isn’t one perfect posture that everybody should hold all day, and posture isn’t simply divided into “good” and “bad.” Human bodies are designed to adopt lots of different positions.
What tends to matter more is whether a position is comfortable for you, how long you’re staying in it, whether you can easily move into other positions, and whether your body has the strength and capacity to cope with what you’re asking it to do.
So if you’ve come here because you’re worried about your posture, we’re not going to spend the next ten minutes frightening you about the angle of your spine.
We’re going to help you understand what might actually be useful.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our multidisciplinary team works with people experiencing posture-related discomfort, stiffness, muscular tension and movement concerns.
Depending on what’s happening, treatment may involve chiropractic care, myotherapy, remedial massage, movement advice and strategies to help you feel more comfortable and capable in your body.
Book a session to discuss your posture
Not sure who to book? Contact our team on (03) 9347 9247
What Is Posture?
Posture is simply the position your body adopts while you’re sitting, standing, lying down or moving.
And here’s the first myth worth killing:
Your body doesn’t have one correct position.
You might sit upright while concentrating, slump backwards while reading, lean forwards during a conversation, cross your legs, stand predominantly on one leg or curl yourself into an impressively strange shape while watching Netflix.
Bodies do that.
Problems can arise when you’re spending long periods in positions your body isn’t currently tolerating well, when work or other demands repeatedly load the same tissues, or when pain and stiffness make it difficult to comfortably change position.
So rather than asking:
“Is this posture bad?”
A more useful question is often:
“Can my body comfortably do what I’m asking it to do?”
Is There Really Such a Thing as Bad Posture?
Not in the simplistic way we’ve traditionally been taught.
You’ve probably seen diagrams showing:
GOOD POSTURE ✓
BAD POSTURE ✗
with someone’s head approximately three centimetres further forward.
Human beings are considerably more complicated than that.
Research hasn’t established one universally ideal posture that prevents musculoskeletal pain. People without pain can have rounded shoulders, spinal curves, forward head positions and all sorts of postural variations.
Equally, someone can sit beautifully upright and still have neck pain.
That doesn’t mean posture is completely irrelevant.
It means we need to stop treating posture as a moral failing or assuming that every variation from an arbitrary “ideal” is damaging your body.
Posture is one piece of a much bigger picture.
So Why Do I Feel Awful After Sitting at My Desk All Day?
Because even a perfectly respectable position can become uncomfortable when you barely move out of it for eight hours.
Picture your average workday.
Laptop.
Phone.
Meeting.
Laptop.
Email.
Phone.
Another meeting that absolutely could have been an email.
You may spend hours performing relatively small movements while the muscles around your neck, shoulders and back work in similar ways.
Eventually you might notice:
- Neck stiffness
- Aching between the shoulder blades
- Tight shoulders
- Lower back discomfort
- Headaches
- Jaw tension
- Hip stiffness
- A strong desire to stretch or crack your back
- General fatigue from sitting
The answer isn’t necessarily forcing yourself to hold your shoulders back all day.
Often, the most useful posture is simply:
Your next posture.
Change position.
Stand up.
Move around.
Lean back.
Walk while you take the phone call.
Give your body some variety.
What About Forward Head Posture?
“Forward head posture” describes a position where the head sits further forward relative to the trunk.
It’s extremely common, particularly when we’re looking at screens or concentrating on something in front of us.
It isn’t automatically a diagnosis and it doesn’t mean your neck is damaged.
However, if you consistently experience neck discomfort, headaches, stiffness or muscular fatigue during prolonged desk or screen work, it can still be useful to look at how you’re working, how long you’re holding particular positions and whether movement, strength or workstation changes might make you more comfortable.
In other words:
We’re interested in what your posture is doing to your experience—not whether it passes a photograph test.
Learn more about headaches and migraines
What About Rounded Shoulders?
Rounded shoulders are another feature people frequently worry about.
Some degree of rounding is completely normal, and your resting shoulder position doesn’t automatically tell us whether something is wrong.
But if you’re experiencing shoulder pain, upper-back discomfort, fatigue or difficulty with particular movements, assessment can look beyond the appearance of your shoulders and explore:
- Shoulder movement
- Shoulder-blade movement
- Strength
- Neck movement
- Upper-back mobility
- Work and exercise demands
- Positions that provoke symptoms
That’s far more useful than simply telling you:
“Pull your shoulders back.”
Particularly because trying to hold yourself rigidly in a “corrected” position all day can become uncomfortable in its own right.
Learn more about shoulder pain
Can Posture Cause Neck Pain?
This is where we need some nuance.
Neck pain is influenced by many factors, and there isn’t one posture that reliably explains why one person develops pain while another doesn’t.
But prolonged or repetitive positions can aggravate symptoms for some people – particularly if they already have neck pain or their work gives them very little opportunity to move.
So if your neck consistently starts aching after several hours at your desk, we don’t need to choose between:
“It’s definitely your posture.”
and
“Posture has absolutely nothing to do with it.”
We can simply look at what happens to your symptoms, how you move, what your work requires and what changes actually make you feel better.
Can Posture Cause Headaches?
Some headaches occur alongside neck pain, muscle tension or prolonged screen work, while other headaches—including migraine—have very different mechanisms.
So we’d never look at someone with recurring headaches and announce:
“It’s your posture.”
That’s far too simplistic.
If headaches consistently occur alongside neck discomfort, muscular fatigue or long periods at your desk, those factors may be worth assessing.
But recurrent, severe, new or changing headaches deserve appropriate medical assessment rather than being automatically blamed on posture.
Read our guide to Headaches & Migraines
Can Posture Cause Shoulder Pain?
Again: sometimes posture and prolonged positioning may be relevant, but shoulder pain has many possible causes.
If your shoulder hurts when lifting, reaching, exercising or sleeping, the shoulder itself deserves assessment rather than assuming you simply need to sit straighter.
What About Lower Back Pain and Sitting?
Sitting itself isn’t inherently dangerous.
But staying in one position for a long time can become uncomfortable, particularly when you’re already experiencing lower back pain.
Rather than obsessing over a single perfect sitting position, it may be more useful to create variety:
Sit.
Stand.
Walk.
Lean back.
Change your chair position.
Take breaks.
Move throughout the day.
And if your back continues hurting despite those changes, assess the back rather than endlessly rearranging your desk.
Read more about Lower Back Pain
Posture and Your Phone
Ah yes.
The tiny glowing rectangle responsible for all civilisation’s problems.
Phones haven’t suddenly made human heads too heavy for their necks.
But they have dramatically increased the amount of time many of us spend looking down, sitting still and repeating the same small movements.
If scrolling for an hour leaves your neck feeling awful, you don’t necessarily need to hold your phone at eye level like you’re filming a documentary about yourself.
Try changing positions.
Prop your arms up.
Lean back.
Move.
Take breaks.
Put the phone down occasionally.
Your body generally appreciates variety more than perfection.
Can Stress Affect Posture?
Absolutely—and this is often overlooked.
Think about what your body does when you’re stressed.
Shoulders elevated.
Breathing changes.
Body becomes more guarded.
You might sit rigidly or curl forwards.
None of those positions are inherently pathological, but if stress keeps your body braced for hours at a time, muscular fatigue and discomfort can follow.
Stress can also affect sleep, physical activity and pain sensitivity.
So sometimes improving how your body feels isn’t purely an ergonomic problem.
Learn more about Stress, Jaw Pain & TMJ
What Does a Posture Assessment Actually Look At?
A useful posture assessment should involve considerably more than standing against a wall while someone announces everything that’s “wrong” with you.
We may look at your posture.
But we also want to know:
- Why are you concerned about it?
- Are you actually in pain?
- Where?
- What positions aggravate your symptoms?
- What does your workday look like?
- How much do you move?
- What exercise do you do?
- Can you comfortably move your neck, shoulders, spine and hips?
- Are there strength or endurance issues?
- Have your symptoms changed recently?
- What do you actually want to be able to do more comfortably?
Assessment may then include relevant movement, mobility, strength and functional testing.
The goal isn’t to make your body conform to a photograph of “ideal posture.”
It’s to identify changes that might genuinely improve how you move and feel.
Can You Actually Improve Your Posture?
Yes, but first we need to define what “improve” means.
If you mean:
“Can I permanently force my skeleton into the one perfect alignment?”
That’s not a useful goal.
If you mean:
“Can I become stronger, move more easily, tolerate my work better, feel less stiff and have more options for how I hold myself?”
Depending on your situation, useful strategies may include:
- Increasing movement throughout your day
- Adjusting your workstation
- Strengthening particular areas
- Improving mobility where genuinely restricted
- Building endurance
- Changing repetitive habits
- Taking regular breaks from prolonged positions
- Managing pain appropriately
- Addressing stress or jaw clenching where relevant
- Gradually increasing physical activity
Sometimes your visible posture may change as a consequence.
Sometimes it won’t.
The better outcome is that you feel and function better.
Do I Need to Strengthen My Core?
Maybe.
But “strengthen your core” has become the musculoskeletal equivalent of “have you tried turning it off and on again?”
Core strength can be useful.
So can leg strength.
Back strength.
Shoulder strength.
General fitness.
Walking.
Lifting things.
Doing exercise you actually enjoy enough to continue doing.
If weakness or reduced capacity is relevant to your symptoms, a targeted strengthening program makes sense.
But we don’t assume every person with posture concerns has a mysteriously defective core that needs activating.
Do I Need an Ergonomic Chair?
Not necessarily.
A comfortable, adjustable workstation can absolutely help, particularly if you’re spending many hours working at it.
Useful considerations can include:
- Screen height
- Chair height
- Keyboard and mouse position
- Foot support
- Desk height
- Whether you’re using multiple screens
- How frequently you change position
But there is no chair expensive enough to make sitting completely still for ten hours a day ideal.
An ergonomic setup should make your work easier.
It shouldn’t become another attempt to lock you into the supposedly perfect position.
What Treatments Can Help With Posture-Related Pain and Stiffness?
If you’re not in pain and simply dislike how your posture looks, you may not need treatment at all.
But if posture concerns occur alongside pain, stiffness, restricted movement, muscle fatigue or difficulty tolerating work and exercise, treatment may be useful.
The appropriate approach depends on what’s actually happening.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care may be useful when posture concerns occur alongside musculoskeletal pain, stiffness or movement restrictions.
Assessment can consider the neck, spine, shoulders and other relevant areas, while treatment may combine hands-on care with movement, exercise and practical strategies.
The goal should not be to repeatedly “put your spine back into alignment.”
It should be to help you move and function more comfortably.
Learn more about Chiropractic
Myotherapy
Myotherapy may be useful when muscular tension, fatigue, weakness or movement problems are significant parts of your presentation.
A myotherapist may assess relevant muscle and movement patterns and combine hands-on treatment with exercise or rehabilitation strategies.
Learn more about Myotherapy
Remedial Massage
If long workdays or repetitive positions leave your neck, shoulders or back feeling tight and sore, remedial massage may help manage muscular discomfort.
For persistent posture-related problems, however, massage may work best as one part of a broader approach that also includes movement, strengthening and changing the demands you’re placing on your body.
Learn more about Remedial Massage
The Best Posture Is Probably the One You Haven’t Been in for the Last Three Hours
If there’s one thing we’d like you to leave this page remembering, it’s this:
You don’t need to spend your life policing your posture.
Slouch sometimes.
Sit upright sometimes.
Stand.
Walk.
Stretch.
Lean back.
Change position.
Build a body capable of tolerating lots of different positions rather than trying to find the magical one that will prevent all future pain.
And if a particular activity or position consistently causes symptoms, that’s useful information.
That’s when an assessment can help us work out why.
Book a session to address my Posture
Not sure who to see? Contact our team on (03) 9347 9247
Frequently Asked Questions About Posture
Is slouching bad for you?
Slouching isn’t inherently dangerous.
Like any position, it can become uncomfortable if you stay there for a long time. Rather than fearing slouching, aim for regular movement and a variety of comfortable positions.
What is good posture?
There isn’t one universally perfect posture.
A useful posture is generally one that is comfortable and appropriate for what you’re doing, and one you aren’t forced to maintain indefinitely.
Being able to move comfortably between different positions is more useful than trying to hold yourself perfectly still.
Can poor posture cause pain?
The relationship between posture and pain isn’t simple.
Some positions or prolonged postures may aggravate symptoms for some people, but posture alone doesn’t reliably explain who develops pain.
Pain is influenced by many factors including movement, physical capacity, injury, sleep, stress and general health.
Can I fix forward head posture?
You may be able to change how you habitually sit or stand through changes to your workstation, movement habits, mobility and strength.
But forward head posture itself isn’t automatically something that needs “fixing.”
If you’re in pain, we’d rather assess the pain and your function than treat a photograph of your posture.
Can rounded shoulders be corrected?
Sometimes shoulder position changes with movement, strengthening or changes in habits.
But rounded shoulders aren’t automatically abnormal or harmful.
If you have shoulder pain, weakness or restricted movement, assess those issues directly.
Should I pull my shoulders back all day?
No.
Holding yourself rigidly in one “corrected” posture for hours can simply create a different form of discomfort.
Move between positions rather than trying to maintain a permanent military stance.
Can posture cause headaches?
Some people experience headaches alongside neck discomfort, muscular tension and prolonged desk or screen work.
But headaches have many possible causes – including migraine – and shouldn’t automatically be attributed to posture.
Recurring, severe or changing headaches deserve appropriate assessment.
Can posture cause neck pain?
Prolonged or repetitive positions may aggravate neck symptoms for some people, but neck pain is multifactorial and there isn’t one universally “bad” neck posture.
If your neck consistently becomes painful during particular activities, assessment can help identify useful changes.
Is sitting bad for my back?
Sitting isn’t inherently bad for your back.
Long periods of inactivity or remaining in one position can become uncomfortable, however. Regular movement and changing positions throughout the day are sensible strategies.
Are standing desks better for posture?
A standing desk can give you another position to work in, which can be useful.
But standing motionless all day isn’t automatically superior to sitting motionless all day.
The advantage is the ability to alternate between sitting, standing and moving.
How often should I get up from my desk?
There’s no magical interval that works for everyone.
Instead of obsessing over a perfect timer, create frequent opportunities to change position and move throughout your day.
If you consistently become uncomfortable after a particular amount of time, that’s a pretty good cue to move before you reach that point.
Do posture braces work?
A brace may have specific uses in particular medical circumstances, but we generally wouldn’t recommend relying on a posture brace simply to force your shoulders into a particular position.
For most everyday posture concerns, building movement options, strength and physical capacity is a more useful long-term strategy.
Can chiropractic improve posture?
Chiropractic care may help manage musculoskeletal pain or movement restrictions that occur alongside posture concerns.
We would not promise that chiropractic treatment will permanently “correct” your posture or realign your skeleton.
Our goal is better movement, comfort and function—not chasing an arbitrary geometric ideal.
Can myotherapy help with posture?
Myotherapy may help when muscular tension, weakness, fatigue or movement restrictions are contributing to your symptoms.
Treatment can combine hands-on care with exercise and strategies designed around what your body actually needs to do.
How do I know which practitioner to book?
If your main concern is posture accompanied by neck, shoulder, back or muscular discomfort, chiropractic or myotherapy may be sensible starting points depending on your symptoms.
If muscular tension is your main complaint, remedial massage may also be appropriate.
If you’re not sure, contact our reception team and tell us what’s bothering you. We’ll help you choose an appropriate practitioner rather than requiring you to diagnose yourself first.
Posture Assessment in Carlton North, Melbourne
If you’re uncomfortable at your desk, constantly stretching your neck and shoulders, worried about how you’re standing or simply feel like your body isn’t coping particularly well with what you’re asking it to do, we can help you look at the bigger picture.
You don’t need perfect posture.
And you certainly don’t need to spend the rest of your life with someone reminding you to sit up straight.
What you want is a body that can move, adapt and comfortably handle your work, exercise and everyday life.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our multidisciplinary team offers chiropractic care, myotherapy and remedial massage for people experiencing posture-related musculoskeletal pain, tension and movement concerns.
Ready to stop fighting with your posture?
Book a session with one of our therapists for a Posture Assessment
Not Sure Who to Book? Contact Us on (03) 9347 9247