Shoulder brace to help with posture

[champion65]

Hello - I have a continuing issue with shoulder pain brought about by a 35 year desk job. I'm thiking about getting a brace to fix the posture but want to hear about other people's experiences - has anyone else tried one?

Neil

 

[George1959]

Hello - I have a continuing issue with shoulder pain brought about by a 35 year desk job. I'm thiking about getting a brace to fix the posture but want to hear about other people's experiences - has anyone else tried one?

Neil

Neil, in my opinion you should give it a try. I didn't get problems with shoulder pain but with back pain and often wore a brace for some time to relieve it. It worked.

 

[NorthernLight]

I have poor posture, mostly because I was a self-conscious tall child who slouched.

I tried exercises (both strengthening and stretching) and a posture corrector, with no result. It was too easy to slouch within the corrector. And if you have one that doesn't permit slouching, it can weaken the muscles.

The new-fangled ones that "remind" you not to slouch look promising. Worth a try, I think!

https://www.wired.com/gallery/posture-correctors/

 

[gruntlabor]

Hello - I have a continuing issue with shoulder pain brought about by a 35 year desk job. I'm thiking about getting a brace to fix the posture but want to hear about other people's experiences - has anyone else tried one?

Neil

I remember my mother tried a brace for her posture many years ago, but she was warned off by professionals who said that as she relaxes into the brace, letting it do all the work, her posture would then actually worsen.

 

[George1959]

I remember my mother tried a brace for her posture many years ago, but she was warned off by professionals who said that as she relaxes into the brace, letting it do all the work, her posture would then actually worsen.

This happens only if you don't exercise. Wearing a brace without exercising to strengthen the muscles (exercises without wearing the brace at that time
of course) can be harmful. Every time I get lumbago (which is not very often) I wear a brace for some days to relieve the pain. In my opinion it's better than heavy pain killers which can be harmful to liver and kidneys. Then I begin with exercises.

 

[George1959]

The new-fangled ones that "remind" you not to slouch look promising. Worth a try, I think!

https://www.wired.com/gallery/posture-correctors/

This is exactly the principle with the back braces for scoliosis since the 1970s. They remind the child to correct actively the posture by her/himself and not to slouch. As soon as they start with slouching the brace becomes more uncomfortable. The older braces only provided support which in fact weakend the muscles and could make the person who wore them completely dependent on them. I got never dependent.

 

[gruntlabor]

This happens only if you don't exercise. Wearing a brace without exercising to strengthen the muscles (exercises without wearing the brace at that time
of course) can be harmful. Every time I get lumbago (which is not very often) I wear a brace for some days to relieve the pain. In my opinion it's better than heavy pain killers which can be harmful to liver and kidneys. Then I begin with exercises.

I think the posture brace or harness is meant to be worn all the time except for sleeping and bathing, while the back, knee, wrist etc braces are meant to prop us up temporarily. I wear those temporary braces as needed, but never the posture harness.