Are you suffering from back pain because of poor posture at work? Research says there is no correlation between posture, long hours at your desk, and back pain. So, if bad posture is not to blame for back pain, what is?

Let’s find out now.

Let’s take Mike. Mike sits at his desk for 10 hours a day. The only time he moves is to walk to a meeting roomor to take a toilet break. He doesn’t have time for breakfast or sports. He eats his lunch quickly. He drinks a lot of coffee. Sound familiar?

80% of people have experienced back pain at some time, and it is often persistent or recurrent, according to research.

80% is approximately the number of patients I treat who believe their pain is caused by poor posture at work. Pilots, teachers, corporate professionals and more. Bad posture isn’t the problem; bad habits are.

So, what are the real reasons behind work-related back pain?

1. First, with 360 joints and around 650 muscles, your body is designed to move. And it is easy to understand that less physical activities is harmful for all of us.
2. Second, stress and fatigue are the first factors of the body mechanical pain.
3. Third, inappropriate beliefs about the origin of your pain. For example: “I have scoliosis – my spine is not straight and that’s why I’m in pain.  Or “I have arthritis in my back, that’s why I’m in pain!” These are not always  the origins of your pain.

My approach as a body worker is to identify the real causes of your pain.

After evaluating your lifestyle, habits and motion I will:

1. First, improve your body mobility and awareness through specific mobilisations and exercises to make it move better as it is designed to. It’s like giving your house a good foundation; a good structure is always necessary.
2. Second, I will help you to manage your stress and fatigue by improving your respiratory and nervous system functions. It can be done with appropriate manipulation, physical and breathing exercises or with simple lifestyle advice.
3. Third, I will accompany you in your self-healing process as a facilitator by educating you about your body, so you can address your pain properly.

To ensure we address every facet that is impacting your health and wellbeing, I may also work with other therapists like naturopath, counsellor or personal trainer to give you the best opportunity to heal.

Your body is stronger and smarter that you believe. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn said.

 “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”.

Thanks for watching my video, I am Jonathan Vallade, Osteopath, Physical Educator and yoga teacher at IMI.