When your mother told you to stand up straight, you probably weren’t thinking about your spine health and what degenerative conditions you could face as you grew older. But, it’s never too late to start implementing healthy habits like maintaining good posture. This is especially true if you have received a diagnosis of facet syndrome, a degenerative disease that impacts the spine’s ability to bend and twist comfortably.

A facet syndrome diagnosis may have you feeling overwhelmed about your next steps and confused about what treatment options are available to you. However, improving your posture is an easy task that can have a big impact. Here are three reasons why improving your posture is important if you are dealing with neck or back pain:

• It reduces strain on your neck and back. Slumping and slouching over makes it difficult for muscles and ligaments to support the spine and maintain balance.
• It keeps the spine in proper alignment. Good posture preserves the spine’s natural curves.
• It may help slow the spine’s degenerative process. Years of bad posture can increase the likelihood of injuries and may further accelerate spine degeneration.

Correcting your posture is simple; stand tall with your shoulders back and relaxed and your head in line with the rest of your body. Keep your weight in the balls of your feet. When sitting, avoid crossing your legs as much as possible and keep your shoulders, neck and back upright.

Many patients are able to effectively manage their facet syndrome symptoms by implementing healthy lifestyle habits and conservative treatments like pain medications and physical therapy. However, some require surgery to relieve compression on the spinal cord or surrounding nerves. If you find yourself in this situation, consider receiving a free MRI review* to determine if you are a candidate for minimally invasive surgery at USA Spine Care. Our board-certified surgeons+ use a less than 1-inch incision and muscle-sparing techniques to help patients overcome their facet syndrome symptoms and Stand Tall.®

Contact USA Spine Care to discover more about the benefits of our outpatient procedures for facet syndrome.

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