A posture corrector, also known as posture brace or posture supporter, is a garment specially designed to support the back and the shoulders. It helps the user have a good posture by pulling the shoulders backward and straightening the back, thus restricting slouching and the bending of the spine.
This encourages the structures and muscles to align in their natural position. Using a posture corrector offers stability to the muscles of the back, neck, and shoulders.
Having a good posture is important for your overall well being. People with poor posture can experience severe back pain. Having a bad posture can also affect your health.
Dr. Kevin Carneiro, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, and Medical Director of UNC Hospitals Spine Center have listed some of the main health issues bad posture can cause.
He explained that “patients with poor posture in the lumbopelvic area can also deal with pelvic floor dysfunction. This could cause difficulties with urinary retention, pain during intercourse or constipation”.
Bad posture can also cause headaches. Natalie Lovitz, PT, DPT, and Clinical Director of Professional Physical Therapy in New York, NY, explains that “There are many kinds of headaches, but cervicogenic headaches originate in the neck and can be fixed when working on posture. These headaches start in the base of your neck and radiate up.
They are typically caused by forwarding head posture (i.e. head in front of your shoulders and trunk), which places increased stress on the joints and muscles in your upper neck.”
Believe it or not, you can even injure your lower extremities if you constantly have a poor posture. Lovitz says that “the joints in your lower extremities are very much connected to your spine and posture — literally and figuratively. Altered posture and muscle imbalances caused by poor posture can place strain on your hips, knees and even feet”.
And according to Christina Ciccione, PT, DPT, and Clinical Director of Professional Physical Therapy in Baldwin, NY, having a poor posture can make you feel more fatigued than usual and contribute to mental stress.
This happens because, as Ciccione explains, “Poor posture affects your body’s natural alignment, which puts physical stress on the body and causes soreness and pain.
This can also translate into mental stress, decreasing one’s motivation, and overall mood.”
Individuals who are experiencing issues associated with poor posture could consider using a posture corrector to help them regain a healthy posture.
Posture correctors provide gentle yet unyielding support that helps the wearer have a straighter, taller spine. This, in turn, can reduce the pain and adverse health effects caused by a poor posture.
If you have poor posture and would like to improve it, it is best if you first see a doctor or physician. After you have your back checked by a professional, you can buy a posture corrector in order to help you.
It is important to go to the doctor first to know exactly what causes your posture problem, what kind of slouching you have, and to know what kind of exercises can help you strengthen the muscles you need.
A posture corrector will help to complement these efforts and fix your posture in a way that is best for your specific case.
Posture correctors are best prescribed by physical therapists. Nowadays you can find a lot of different models available online. The posture correctors fit in the same way a coat or shirt is worn.
Most models are built to be comfortable. Posture correctors come in different shapes and sizes. For women, there is even a specific posture bra available.
However, the common types of posture correctors for both men and women include back braces, belts and shoulder straps.
These make sure to support different parts of the spine and help relieve any abnormal positioning of the bones and muscles.
Each model has specific instructions for how much time it should be worn daily. And remember, the best way to ensure a good posture is to use the posture corrector in conjunction with a good exercise plan, preferably assigned to you by a professional.
Top 5 Best Posture Correctors
Gearari Posture Corrector and Back Straightener
This posture corrector is good because it is comfortable, lightweight, and effective. There are models for men and women. When used regularly, the posture corrector can help you realign your vertebrae to their proper position, relieve neck pain along with upper and lower back pain, recover mobility and strengthen the muscles.
The Gearari posture corrector was designed with maximum comfort in mind. It can be worn at work, while driving, at home, working outside, or even during physical activity.
For best results, it should be worn daily for one hour, twice a day at first. Once your back or shoulders adjust to your new muscle memory improving posture, add 15 to 30 minutes more per session.
You should avoid wearing posture correctors for extended periods of time as it should only be used to fix posture rather than provide permanent support.
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Comezy Back Posture Corrector for Women & Men –
This product is great because it’s fully adjustable, breathable, soft, and lightweight. It is suitable for men, women, and teenagers.
The Comezy posture corrector you will get a more significant improvement in your sitting position (especially considering how much time people tend to spend sitting down). This will help you obtain a healthy, natural posture.
The Comezy posture corrector should be used daily for one hour, twice a day at first. Once your back or shoulders adjust, you can add 15 to 30 minutes more per session.
In order to protect your back, you should avoid wearing posture correctors for extended or indefinite periods of time.
If you do this, the Comezy posture corrector will help you with slouching, sport-related injuries, and even thoracic kyphosis.
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FY Posture Corrector And Brace
This posture corrector is great because it will help your core muscles straighten up by tightening your shoulders and upper back when you slouch.
This will help your muscles naturally develop muscle memory which will improve your posture and even possibly save you from muscular injuries.
The FY Posture posture corrector can help you relieve your back pain and form good posture habits.
This product is comfortable to use because it has an easy system that allows for front adjustment. It is made with padded straps to increase the user’s comfort. It can also be used underneath clothing and remain discreet; that way no one will notice if you are using one.
This unisex product has adjustable straps that are designed to be easy to put on. If you decide to buy the FY posture corrector, the product comes with 30 days no “questions asked, money-back guarantee”. It also comes with an E-book full of tips, instructions, and video exercises.
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Anoopsyche Posture Corrector for Women
This product is great because it is manufactured with high-quality materials. It has a long life span and is comfortable to wear.
Available for both men and women, this posture corrector has a sleek design that makes it unique. The Anoopsyche posture corrector is breathable.
It is made with a high-density PE material. This makes it both lightweight, fresh, and washable. It can be worn discreetly under clothing.
The Anoopsyche posture corrector comes with two detachable shoulder pads. If the user feels uncomfortable while wearing the product, these shoulder pads can be a backup option to improve the situation.
This product improves bad posture, while also making the wearer look taller and more confident than before.
It should be worn 30 minutes per day. In only 2 to 3 weeks, the user will be able to see an improvement in their posture.
This posture corrector is designed to relieve pain by helping to maintain the normal physiological curve of the spine and protecting it.
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MARAKYM Posture Corrector And Adjustable Clavicle Brace
This product is great because it is made with high-quality materials and comes with extra features to help increase comfort.
It has a clavicle brace that is made from strong and breathable high-quality neoprene.
This ensures that the Marakym posture corrector for men is comfortable and built to last.
The clavicle brace also provides clavicle posture support while the wearer is working out, lifting weight or simply sitting at the computer desk. For women, the product includes pads in order to guarantee comfort.
The posture corrector can be worn under or on top of the user’s clothes. The customer can use it at home, at work, or on the go.
The product is fully adjustable for 28 to 48-inch chest circumferences. In the first week, the Marakym posture corrector should be worn for 30-40 minutes per day, for postural correction.
After one to two weeks, the user can increase 20 or 30 minutes more every day depending on how they feel.
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Benefits
1. A posture corrector could help you reduce stress
In a study, the University of Auckland concluded that sitting with an upright posture can function as a coping mechanism against stress.
A posture corrector can help you maintain a good posture. This, in turn, will help you manage stress better in your daily life.
Overall, having good posture can help improve your mental health and a posture corrector can be a key part of starting good posture habits. (1)
2. A posture corrector can help you have a better perception of yourself
Researchers at Ohio State University and the Autonomous University in Madrid, Spain, examined the relationship between metacognition and body posture.
They found differences in how participants evaluated their own abilities and judgments depending on whether they were sitting in a good posture in a slouched posture. They dubbed this a “confident” posture (straight back) versus a “doubtful” posture (slouched back).
The results of the experiment showed that participants sitting with a “confident” posture felt more confident about themselves, and held more positive self-attitudes when evaluating themselves as potential professionals.
Basically, having a good posture can help you have a better perception of yourself. The investigators explained that body postures can influence self‐evaluations by affecting thought confidence, a meta‐cognitive process.
A posture corrector can help you get a better posture and therefore have a more positive self-attitude. (1) (2)
3. A posture corrector can help increase muscular strength
If you tend to slouch, the muscles in your lower back and abdomen weaken progressively. This is why it is hard to improve a poor posture: the weakened muscles become unable to support your spine.
A posture corrector, by simply putting your back in a correct posture, can help improve your core and back strength by engaging the muscles in your lower back and abdomen.
Once you have a stronger core, you will be able to stand up straight easily and prevent lower back pain. A good posture will ensure that your vertebrae are less compressed and that your muscles remain strong. (3)
4. A posture corrector can help prevent breathing problems
If you have a bad posture for a long time, you can experience breathing difficulties. This happens because a bad posture normally causes the muscles of the chest to tighten, which reduces the space your rib cage has to expand when you breathe.
If this happens, the person usually starts taking more rapid and shallow breaths. This will be especially noticeable when they exercise or when they go to high altitudes.
A posture corrector can help address this kind of breathing problems because when you straighten your spine into its natural position, you are supporting deeper breathing patterns.
This also improves core stability, gradually builds up your tolerance to intensive exercises and minimizes the risk of muscle injury and fatigue.
A posture corrector, by improving your posture, reduces stress on the spine and decompresses the diaphragm to enable more air to reach your lungs. (3)
5. A posture corrector can help you increase your energy levels
Kara Griffith, an exercise physiologist at Colorado Canyons Hospital & Medical Center, explains that when your bones and joints are in correct alignment, it allows the muscles to be used as they’re intended.
This means that someone with a healthy posture will have less fatigue and more energy. This happens because the muscles don’t have to work so hard to do what they’re supposed to do, as opposed to when they are in an abnormal slouching position, which forces them to do extra work.
This is why wearing a posture corrector can help you increase energy levels. By wearing it, you will improve your posture.
This will help your muscles be in their normal positions and therefore function at their best. This will help you reduce fatigue and feel more energetic. (4)
6. A posture corrector could help you reduce depression
In 2012 Erik Peper, PhD, and I-Mei Lin, PhD, published a paper called “Increase or Decrease Depression: How Body Postures Influence Your Energy Level”.
They claim that the treatment of depression has predominantly focused on medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy and has given too little attention to the impact of body movement and posture on brain function and mood.
They explain that modifying body posture is a “self-awareness and somatic biofeedback technique”. Body posture affects the recall of positive or negative memories.
When a person is sitting in a collapsed position and looking downward, it was much easier for them to recall hopeless, helpless, powerless, and negative memories, than empowering, positive memories.
When sitting upright and looking upward, it was difficult and for many almost impossible to recall hopeless, helpless, powerless, and negative memories and easier to recall empowering positive memories.
Basically, having a good posture can help improve your mood. A posture corrector can help to make this happen, because by training your back to keep a good posture, it will help you feel more empowered and positive. (5)
Side Effects
1. Posture correctors may cause atrophy of muscles if used improperly
If you use posture correctors every day for too many hours without pause, instead of helping you have a better posture, the product could end up debilitating your muscles.
If you expect your posture corrector to “do all the work for you” it very well may end up making your posture worse.
If you rely only on a posture corrector without the aid of exercises (preferably a routine especially recommended to you by a specialist), then your muscles could grow weaker. If your muscles get weaker, they won’t be able to properly hold up your back. (6)
2. Posture correctors may cause discomfort in the wearer
Sometimes, a posture corrector may cause discomfort in the user. The most common causes of this are chafing under the arms (which is why some include extra support pads). Or also general discomfort in the clavicle, shoulders or back.
You can reduce the risk of getting these side effects if you do a couple of things. First, make sure to buy a model that is appropriate for your size.
Second, if you are sensitive you can look for a model that is especially comfortable and has ways of minimizing these impacts (like the pads mentioned before).
Third, and most importantly, make sure to consult a professional to make sure you are using the right type of support for your personal posture problem. (6)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a posture corrector? Posture correctors are most often prescribed to patients with back deformities.
The most common types of deformities include forward bending of the spine (kyphosis), sideward bending of the spine (scoliosis), and advancing age.
There are also contributing factors to poor postures, like lack of exercise and increased body weight. In these cases, a posture corrector can help you maintain a healthy posture.
Also, leading a sedentary life or having a job that requires long hours in front of a desk can cause back problems. In some of these cases, posture correctors can be considered for helping the wearer regain a healthy posture.
Are posture correctors bad for my health? Posture correctors are initially designed to help improve your health by aiding in the aligning of your spine.
However, if they are used incorrectly, if they are used too often for long periods of time, or if they are used by a patient who does not need a posture corrector, this product could cause the wearer health complications.
This is why shoppers should buy this product responsibly, preferably with the recommendation or guidance of a medical professional.
Who could benefit from using a posture corrector? Many people could benefit from a posture corrector. For example, individuals who are affected by injuries that become aggravated by poor posture could use a posture corrector could help to lower the pressure on the spine and prevent further injury.
Also, if a person has an acute neck or upper back condition, a posture corrector could help them relieve the pain and work on having a better posture.
This can also apply to patients who suffer from chronic, posture-related headaches, which originate from tension in the neck and shoulders.
Patients with a back deformity like kyphosis or scoliosis could also benefit from using a posture corrector to help them improve their condition. (7)
Conclusion
Basically, posture correctors are products designed to help improve posture. They can be helpful to a wide array of people, like individuals suffering from back deformities.
If you want to buy a posture corrector, you should first go to a doctor or specialist and ask for their opinion. If you have a condition that can be treated with a posture corrector, be sure to buy a model that works for you, your body type, and your specific condition.
If the medical professional recommends a series of exercises to help you get a better posture, like yoga or stretching, make sure to do them.
Also, remember to follow the instructions that every posture corrector brings with them. Use it only for the specified amounts of time and no more, for that might actually be detrimental to your health.
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