Spinal contourEither you are sitting, standing, working,
sleeping or relaxing; your back spine is most comfortable in
what is called a neutral posture. The neutral posture is a
position about halfway between full bending and arching.
Your neutral back spine has three natural curves: the inward
curve at the neck (cervical lordosis), the outward curve at the
upper back (thoracic kyphosis), and finally the inward curve at
the low back (lumbar lordosis).
The neutral spinal curves
differ in shape from person to person. Neutral spinal curves can
change for the better with exercise and training; And sometimes
for the worse with injury, aging, poor posture habits or a
disease.
The amount of curving in your spine when you are
in a neutral posture determines your support needs. A spinal
support product should be deep enough to support your particular
curves without pushing beyond your neutral postures. Meaning it
should feel natural and not too arched; you should also feel
supported; meaning there must not be a gap between you and the
support.
Good posture
Time and again some people
still have back pain while sitting with a back support. That is
because there are three main components to back spinal pain:
movement, load & Posture. Movement refers to the effect of
excessive or inadequate motion on the body's circulatory and
neuro-musculo-skeletal system; Load is the weight one puts
through ones back spine; Posture refers to the curve of the back
spine.
Unfortunately not everybody can avoid back and
neck symptoms by correcting their posture. Cushions can only
improve one's Posture, not necessary take away all the pain.
If you show signs of any of the following symptoms, you might
need more than good posture support from your spinal care
product.
1) Impaired tolerance for upright postures
(weight-bearing loss)
2) Inability to stay in one
posture, even a good neutral posture, for prolonged periods of
time (constrained posture intolerance)
3) Discomfort when
furniture or supports come in contact with your body (pressure
intolerance)
If a good posture can reduce or help you to control your back
or neck symptoms, a trained product consultant can help you find
the best product fit. If a good posture can not do that, you
should talk to your health care practitioner or look for
additional evaluation and assistance from a physical therapist.
In some cases, a comprehensive fitting evaluation might be
necessary.
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