[JamesE]

Now, some of you are asking “What does posture have to do with health”? It has to do with stress and stress has a lot to do with health. Since I have had numerous lower back injuries, I tend to lean back a lot when I’m sitting, thus I feel more relaxed and less stressful. So the next time you think of reminding someone to “sit up straight”, think again, for your advice might actually help lead them down the neurological breakdown path, leading to other problems, possibly chronic. Go here for the article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20061128/sc_livescience/newadvicedontsitupstraight

James E

[Oshyan Greene]

Very interesting indeed! I've always felt that "sitting up straight" was uncomfortable and wondered how that could be beneficial when it simply doesn't feel right, and often leads me to early sitting fatigue. So this news doesn't really surprise me. I hope further research is done on this as posture and back issues are of major concern to every one of us!

- Oshyan

[Marlina E]

My husband had lower back pain for years until he participated in the "Balance" workshops provided by Dana Davis in Petaluma.  She teaches a wonderful method to help people achieve "lost" balance.  You are correct, many folks who "sit up straight" and "stand up straight" are actually doing this incorrectly, causing greater damage and stress.   My husband can now sit on a plane for hours, in "Balance", with little fatigue.  Check out the link below for details.

http://www.balancecenter.com/staff.htm

It has literally changed his life.

[PaulaB]

Thanks for this extremely valuable information.  If only I'd known this forty years ago! 
I was always taught to stand and sit up straight, and often received compliments on my "good" posture. Eventually when I sought medical attention for severe neck pain and numbness in my left arm and hand, an x-ray revealed a literally straight neck.  Talk about scary! Three and a half years ago I had C-3 and C-4 fused, complete with screwed in titanium plate (my x-ray now looks like Frankenstein, with a straight neck).  I believe this could have all been avoided had this information been available to me those forty years ago.
Too bad patients with a neurosurgeon breathing down their neck, pun intended, don't have access to this information. 
One more little tidbit...the surgeon released me with these instructions for follow-up care..."You can't hurt the procedure!"
Does anyone out there know of a good chiropractor?  I would appreciate references.

[SuzanneA]

Thanks for this extremely valuable information.  If only I'd known this forty years ago! 
I was always taught to stand and sit up straight, and often received compliments on my "good" posture. Eventually when I sought medical attention for severe neck pain and numbness in my left arm and hand, an x-ray revealed a literally straight neck.  Talk about scary! Three and a half years ago I had C-3 and C-4 fused, complete with screwed in titanium plate (my x-ray now looks like Frankenstein, with a straight neck).  I believe this could have all been avoided had this information been available to me those forty years ago.
Too bad patients with a neurosurgeon breathing down their neck, pun intended, don't have access to this information. 
One more little tidbit...the surgeon released me with these instructions for follow-up care..."You can't hurt the procedure!"
Does anyone out there know of a good chiropractor?  I would appreciate references.