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As a musician, I've had a fair amount of tuition on posture. One in particular, who was teaching Alexander Technique said that bad posture could cause seemingly unrelated complaints, as slouching causes extra pressure on the internal organs, interferes with breathing etc.

I can find evidence that good posture helps with back pain, but not for any other problems. Is there any evidence that bad posture can cause other problems?

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  • Good point, although I'm referring to the effects of bad posture, not with any related activity.
    – fredley
    Mar 26, 2011 at 10:33
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    Bad typing posture can lead to neck and wrist problems I believe Just looking at your monitor wrong can cause neck pain..
    – Akash
    Mar 26, 2011 at 13:28
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    Well, if you are hanged by your hands you risk death by suffocation - does that count as bad posture? ;-)
    – Sklivvz
    Mar 26, 2011 at 13:53
  • If this were pedants.stackexchange.com you might have a point...
    – fredley
    Mar 26, 2011 at 15:22
  • @Akash, Posture is overrated. I spent the better part of 40 years behind a desk in a very bad-posture position: slouched down so that my shoulders were at the height of the missing arm-rests, with the leading edge of the seat providing lumbar support. Occasionally an ergonomic expert would visit our department to make sure everyone had the latest trend in chairs etc. They gave me up as a lost cause, and I stuck with my utilitarian 1960s IBM keypunch chairs (I had a few spares stashed away for when they eventually broke).
    – Ray Butterworth
    May 3 at 2:33

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Posture seems to be connected to the likelihood of injury in sports. (Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physical Therapy

Posture can also affect whether food/drink is swallowed or aspirated. (American Journal of Roentgenology)

Posture is related to fatigue for a person who is standing for a long period of time. (Surgical Endoscopy) (Incidentally, I can back this up with personal experience -- I teach, and the better my posture, the less tired and achy I am after a day of teaching. However, I figured I'd give the research first, since one person's experience isn't enough data for scientific evaluation.)

Posture can tell you a lot about the attitude, status, and interest of the person you're talking with. (Psychological Bulletin)

Good posture can also affect motivation, stress, and mood. (Motivation and Emotion)

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