Do you usually carry your bag on one shoulder because it is easier? Or do you often sit tilted to one side, leaning on one side of the chair while you work or drive?
At first, these are just small movements in everyday life. Over time, though, they can pull the body out of line, throw the spine off its axis, and bring on aches and pains in the low back, hips, neck and shoulders.
The human body always works toward balance. When one side has to carry more load, the nerves, muscles and joints are forced to adjust to keep you balanced for the time being. That very “compensation” is where chronic imbalance begins.
How does poor posture affect the body?
Carrying a bag on one shoulder affects the neck, shoulders and upper back:
- When one shoulder carries more load, gravity pulls that shoulder lower.
- The neck and shoulder muscles on that side have to tighten more, while the muscles lower down the back become less active, to hold that shoulder level with the other one.
Over time, this leads to neck, shoulder and upper back pain, and can even cause structural changes such as one shoulder sitting higher than the other, or a curved spine (scoliosis).
Sitting tilted affects the low back and pelvis:
- Leaning to one side and resting on the chair’s armrest puts more force on one side of the pelvis. Over a long time this tilts the pelvis, and the muscles on one side of the pelvis and low back go into spasm.
-
When you cross your legs or prop one leg up, the pelvis twists:
→ One side of the pelvis tips backward, while the other side tips forward.
→ The muscles of the back and legs are stretched or shortened unevenly, leading to hip pain, a tired back, or pain that spreads down the leg.
Sometimes a tilted pelvis or curved spine is not just “bad posture”
Many people believe their tilted pelvis or curved spine comes from habits like “sitting the wrong way” or “carrying a bag on one shoulder.” In reality, these habits are sometimes the result of a structural misalignment that was already there.
For example:
- Legs of unequal length tilt the pelvis, and the spine tilts along with it to keep the head level.
- From there, one shoulder ends up higher than the other, and the body unconsciously chooses to carry the bag on the higher shoulder because it feels more comfortable.
-
The muscles alongside the spine: one side is tight, the other is stretched, so sitting crooked or leaning to one side is what feels comfortable.
These symptoms usually come on gradually, so we mistake them for simple “muscle fatigue” from poor posture, when in fact they are signs of a spine that is off its axis and a neuromechanical imbalance.
A professional examination
To pinpoint the cause of your pain or of the misalignments in your body, you need a thorough examination by a qualified doctor.
Musculoskeletal problems should not be examined and treated by symptoms alone. The root cause needs to be found by combining a clinical examination with the appropriate tests and imaging. This allows an accurate assessment of structural problems such as a difference in leg length, degeneration, disc herniation or a curved spine…
If you or someone in your family is living with musculoskeletal pain, or you notice signs of structural misalignment, get examined early. Don’t let putting it off allow the problem to become more serious.
📞 Contact us to book an appointment & get advice
- Phone / Zalo / Telegram: 0345.22.33.19 (our reception speaks Vietnamese, so a message works best)
- Fanpage: Tam Duc Clinic
- Website: www.dongytamduc.com
- Address: 117/23A Nguyen Huu Canh, Thanh My Tay Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
