Episode Details

We hear family members and teachers telling us to "sit up straight" and "stand tall", but do they say that because an erect posture is more aesthetically pleasing, or is it the key to a pain-free back? It's commonly believed that 'slump' sitting or 'slouch' standing damages our spines. But, is slouching really that bad?

我们听到家人和老师告诉我们“坐直”和“站直”，但他们是说因为直立的姿势更美观，还是背部不疼痛的关键？ 人们普遍认为“低头”坐姿或“无精打采”站立会损害我们的脊柱。 但是，驼背真的有那么糟糕吗？

Meghan Markowski, physiotherapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, says that a poor posture can lead to neck pain and back problems. She also links it to other problems like poor balance, headaches and breathing difficulties. Meghan says we should aim for an upright spine position and to avoid flexing and arching our backs. But, if you're a sloucher, there may be some good news coming from the last two decades of research…

哈佛大学附属布莱根妇女医院的物理治疗师梅根·马科夫斯基表示，不良姿势会导致颈部疼痛和背部问题。 她还将其与平衡不良、头痛和呼吸困难等其他问题联系起来。 梅根说，我们应该以直立的脊柱姿势为目标，避免弯曲和拱起背部。 但是，如果你是个懒散的人，过去二十年的研究可能会带来一些好消息……

In an article called "Sit Up Straight: Time to Re-evaluate", physiotherapist Diane Slater and colleagues review the current research and conclude that there is no strong evidence that slouching aggravates back pain, or even that a perfect posture exists. Instead, they argue that differences in our spinal curvatures