Posture Shirt

We all know there are perks to good posture, but keeping your spine straight all day every day can be a challenge. One LA based company is using new technology in clothing to work out those kinks. Our 

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Your posture will thank you.

Companies are rolling out products aiming to banish bad posture — and the pain that comes with it. From trackers that vibrate when you slouch to clothes that hold you in alignment, spinal-health aids are having a moment.

We tested the Posture Shirt 2.0, vetted by docs and plenty of research. Bands keep shoulders back and get noticeably tight when you slump, training muscles to hold proper form. Most testers found it comfortable and a great tool for posture awareness (though some found the high neckline limited what they could wear over it). Several said it even eased back pain.

By The Good Housekeeping Institute. JAN 23, 2015 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/advice/a26849/posture-supportive-shirt/

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NBA star Dwight Howard has worn one, so has Peyton Manning. Major league pitchers have worn them. NBA player Eric Gordon of the New Orleans Pelicans was wearing one last Monday when he returned from a 21-game layoff with a torn labrum.

It's a "Posture Shirt," made by a company called Alignmed, and its job is to help keep the wearer's shoulders properly positioned, a key to reducing fatigue.

HOW IT WORKS

Posture shirts do basically the same work as kinesio tape — the black strips seen pulling Olympians' shoulders and backs into place on the volleyball court. Unlike the tape, there's no precise spots or application — just put the shirt on. Variable stretch sections in the back of the shirt — the company calls them "neurobands" — work on the postural muscles in the upper body, including stimulating the muscles to hold your shoulder blades pressed against your rib cage.

When the shoulder blade begins to pull away from the rib cage due to fatigue, the socket in which the shoulder rotates isn't set up right — the arm angle changes, which reduces the accuracy and power of throws while also increasing risk for injury. With the shirt on, the stretch bands encourage the shoulders to return to the correct position.

While use of the shirts by professional athletes is on the rise, people who sit at a desk all day and use a computer are actually the ideal customer, says Craig Morgan, an orthopedic surgeon in Wilmington, Del., and a doctor for the Kansas City Royals. "That's probably 30% of America."

The garment "takes the place of Mom yelling at you about your posture," says Tom House, a former major league pitcher and a coach at USC who works with NFL quarterbacks and professional baseball players.

Morgan says Royals pitcher Greg Holland "wears it every game." Holland saved 46 games in 2014, posting a 1.44 ERA. One year at spring training, Morgan dropped off Alignmed® garments for Royals players to try. "It's my understanding that he put one on, and he's never taken it off."

Morgan says he uses the shirt to rehab pitchers in the Royals organization who have strength issues associated with control of their shoulder blade – an issue that, when fatigued, can cause changes in a pitcher's arm angle that lead to a drop in velocity and accuracy. He said he partially credits its use with the team's low injury numbers among pitchers. In 2014, only one Royals pitcher, Tim Collins, spent time on the disabled list with an elbow- or shoulder-related injury. And he's been able to use the shirt to maintain velocity and control where, in the past, surgery might have been needed.

"Noel Arguelles was a Cuban defector who was signed three years ago by the Royals for $7 million," Morgan says. "He shows up at (Wilmington, N.C., the Royals' high-A affiliate), and his first two starts were spectacular. His third start … in the third inning, all of a sudden, this guy can't throw a strike, and he's lost 10 mph on his fastball."

In previous experiences, Arguelles' problem – weakness of muscles around the shoulder blade – would take Morgan about three months to rehab. By using the posture shirt, Arguelles recovered faster and pitched a complete game shutout just two weeks later.

A PRESCRIPTION SHIRT?

Professional athletes tend to talk up any product they feel helps them play better, even if it invites skepticism — energy necklaces, pressure point bracelets, copper-infused elbow sleeves.

And it's not as if Alignmed garments aren't readily available — they sell for $80 and up from the company's website. So why aren't the shirts better known among the general public?

Morgan says athletes, noting that the shirts' stretchy bands have a level of compression, may be reluctant to be too public about using them, lest they run afoul of Under Armour, Nike or other major sponsors who also manufacture compression garments.

The makers of Alignmed say they don't want to compete with the likes of Under Armour. Though both types of garments feature compression, CEO Bill Schultz says the Alignmed shirts are medical devices and have been classified as such by theAmerican Medical Association. The highest-level and most sophisticated shirt in the Alignmed line can be obtained with a prescription, and as such, the shirts have been subjected to medical studies by sports scientists as well as physical therapists and medical schools.

In one study of college and high school pitchers, Morgan found that pitchers' accuracy can be maintained for 20 percent longer when wearing an Alignmed shirt. In another study at USC, House found an increase in accuracy among pitchers who wore the posture shirt. Morgan and House are both medical advisers to the company.

Eric Cressey, the owner of Cressey Performance in Jupiter, Florida, is a baseball training specialist who works with Major League pitchers including reigning AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. "(With pitchers,) you have to be careful about anything that's 'one-size-fits-all,' " Cressey says.

He acknowledges a posture shirt could be good for certain pitchers with certain shoulder problems, but he thinks it's more useful for the regular office worker.

"If you were going to generalize and say, 'You need this,' I'd say it'd be for them … they have a lot of utility in the general population who spend too much time sitting at a computer."

Studies back up Cressey's opinion. In a four-week study of office workers conducted at the Utilities Center for the city of Colorado Springs, those wearing the Alignmed shirt decreased their overall fatigue by 21 to 29 percent, and increased productivity by as much as 20 percent.

"If you're sitting at a desk, working at a computer, that's going to create a compensation that creates postural dysfunction," says Gary Vitti, athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers. "If you're an airline pilot, if you drive a truck, if you sit in a car a lot, whatever it is … a garment like this can help you."

It also can be tiring. Posture shirts not only squeeze the wearer, the stretch bands encourage use of muscles that a person may "cheat around" if poor posture is a habit.

HELPS FORM

The reason may be as simple as time. Posture exercises or workouts attempt to overcome eight hours of poor, desk-bound posture with 10 minutes of correction – a balance that, without fixing the posture problem, is virtually impossible to overcome.

The shirt evens out the clock by stimulating the muscles to practice proper position throughout the day, as House says, "reminding" your body of the neutral position "to start any movement," an optimal position that will increase power and reduce injury risk.

That means, Vitti says, that when worn while training – whether for the NBA or for a half-marathon or just to look better – the shirt can improve most of the exercises you do, because you're training them in the position that's ideal for those exercises.

Vitti wears a posture shirt garment while running and lifting weights, when trainers and other coaches aren't there to correct his position.

So while it's great for training the Lakers and other pros, Vitti says, if athletes can get such benefits "as easily as wearing the correct garment, why wouldn't everyone want to do that?"

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by Lauren Modry - Jun 12, 2014

“Sit up straight!” If you are like me, you heard these words so many times as a kid that they eventually were conditioned to go in one ear and out the other. Posture was the least of my worries. I had friends to play with, homework to complete and cartoons to watch.

But like most things my mom told me as a kid and teen that I readily ignored (put on sunscreen, don’t read with bad lighting, floss daily etc), I now realize she was right! Ugg.

Neck and shoulder pain is the latest ailment that remind me I’m not in my 20’s any more. We live in a digital world where it is not uncommon to sit for hours on end hunched over a computer. Add daily stressors and this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to your back…or at least that’s what my acupuncturist diagnosed as the “causes” for my frequent headaches, stiffness and knots.

I’m have a type A personality so the thought of being in pain and slowed down for a long period of time (or forever) freaked me out. NOT an option! So as he rattled off all of my options (prescriptions, gadgets, holistic options and on and on) there were only two I really heard…a) change my career path (uh no, not an option) OR b) change my posture. Ok that sounded cool but how the heck was I supposed to do that? I really didn’t feel like being stretched on some torture device and I didn’t have the time for daily yoga classes.

So what to do? Not to my surprise Dr. G had a solution! He recommended I get an AlignMed posture shirt. Now I like my infomercials just as much as the next person but when it comes to actually purchasing something…I don’t (anymore at least)! Most of the crap is exciting for about a week and then just ends up collecting dust at the back of my cabinets. But I needed relief and I trust my doctor so I decided to give the shirts a shot.

Boy am I glad I did! The posture shirts are made of either a polyester/spandex or cotton/LYCRA blend. They use Neuro-bands which are made of non-stretch material, pulling your shoulders back and sending your brain cues that retrain your body to have better posture and less pain. They are actually really comfortable and fit like a Nike workout shirt. After about a week of wearing them for various amounts of time (30 minutes is what Dr. G recommended but I often wore them for longer) I began to notice I was standing up straighter and sitting more aligned…even when I wan’t wearing them! Could it be that I was retraining my bad habits?

After about 3 weeks all my skepticism was thrown out the window! There was no denying I wasn’t getting headaches on a daily basis anymore, my knots were gone (stress remained the same) and I was sleeping better at night. I’m going to say I am an AlignMed success story!

I plan to keep using my shirts here and there to keep my posture in check and I’ve adopted some new and useful habits that I’m going to share below. And remember what your mother told you…STAND UP STRAIGHT!

Over time, poor posture can take a serious toll on your spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. Years of misalignment can lead to back and joint pain, reduce flexibility, compromise muscles and impede ability to burn fat and build strength during your workouts. But there are some actions you can take (or not take) to help your posture:

Identify The Source

Back pain may be the result of poor ergonomics and posture. Pay attention if the pain is worse at specific times during the day (i.e. after sitting in front of a computer after a long day at work) or day of the week (i.e. during the week but not on weekends). Identifying this will help you pinpoint what activities may be contributing to your bad posture and pain.

Body In Alignment While Sitting

When standing, distribute body weight evenly to the front, back, and sides of the feet. Keep knees bent slightly and avoid locking them or resting weight on one hip. Stand up against a wall in front of a mirror to get a visual of what “good” posture looks like and what it feels like. It may feel awkward at first but I promise you, over time, it will begin to feel right.

Body In Alignment While Standing

While sitting in an office chair, keep your body in alignment with the back of the chair. This acts as a great built-in guide as to where your spine should be. Sit up straight and align the ears, shoulders, and hips in one vertical line. And even the best format will wain after any prolonged sitting position, so get up and stretch every 30 minutes. I like setting a timer on my cell phone to keep me on track. Even 1 minute of quick stretching makes a huge difference and allows you to reset your sitting posture to make sure you are aligned.

Get Up and Move

As your muscles tire, slouching, slumping, and other poor postures become more likely. These “tired” positions put extra strain on your neck and back which are big “no-no’s”. Change positions often no matter what you are doing in order to maintain a relaxed yet supported posture. Sit, stand, move, repeat!

Rethink Your Bags

Using purses, bags, and backpacks can weigh down shoulders and put uneven strain on your spine. Try and keep them as light as possible (yes ladies, that means cleaning out all the junk you’ve accumulated in your purse), don’t hold them longer than you have to and try to find designs that evenly distribute the weight throughout your torso (cross body or supportive backpacks).

Eyes Can Affect Your Back

One of the biggest culprits contributing to bad posture are people’s jobs. Think about it, you spend most of your waking hours there during the week, you sit hours on end in a chair staring at a computer screen and breaks may be minimal. Short of quitting your job, you can minimize the effects of the work week on your back and shoulders by always using proper corrective eyewear; positioning computer screens to your natural, resting eye position; making sure your chair is at a height that allows your arms to maintain a neutral position with your desk and computer.

Exercise Exercise Exercise

Regular exercise such as walking, swimming or bicycling, are not only great for keeping your weight in check, your heart healthy and your energy up; they are also key to good posture.   When combined with specific strengthening exercises, these activities can help build up the muscles surrounding the back and spine adding extra support to help prevent injury. Don’t neglect your core muscles either as they are essential to supporting the upper body and maintaining good posture. Unless there is a fracture or other serious problem, the structures in the spine are designed for movement. Limiting motion will eventually cause weakness and thus more pain.

Wear Supportive Footwear 

Avoid regularly wearing high-heeled shoes (I know ladies, not what you wanted to hear) but they affect the body’s center of gravity and cause compensatory alignment. Instead, wear supportive footwear and keep body positioning symmetrical.

Avoid Overprotecting Posture

Try and maintain an overall relaxed posture at all times. Avoid clenching muscles or sitting or standing in a stiff position. You know the “fight or flight” response? Unless you are being chased by a lion…don’t do it!

Retraining bad habits and body alignment may feel weird at first but I guarantee if you keep at it and are patient with yourself, you can and will achieve better posture and in return less pain, fewer aches and a more confident stance.