Posture
Forward head, rounded shoulders, flat back — what each term predicts.
7 guides · updated 3 Oct 2026 · every claim sourced
How to improve your posture
How to improve posture with what research supports: move often, train endurance, set up your screens and skip the gadgets. A practical plan with sources.
4 min read · Moderate evidenceOverviewPosture and pain: what the reviews say
Posture is one factor among several, and weaker than the industry implies. What the reviews actually found, stated plainly.
3 min read · Moderate evidenceOverviewWhat is good posture?
Good posture is not one perfect position. What posture is, why healthy spines vary, what the evidence says about posture and pain, and what good posture means.
3 min read · Moderate evidenceMore in Posture
Forward head posture
Forward head posture means the head sits in front of the shoulders. How to check it, how it relates to neck pain, and which exercises have evidence.
5 min readConditionNeck hump
A neck hump can be posture, a rounded upper back, a fatty pad or a sign of bone loss. How to tell them apart, what exercise can change and when to see a doctor.
4 min readConditionText neck
Text neck, or tech neck, is the head down posture of phone use. How common it is, what it does and does not cause, and the habits that help.
4 min readConditionRounded shoulders
Rounded shoulders sit forward of the body's midline. What causes the posture, how to check it, and the exercises that improved it in trials.
4 min readAbout this topic
Posture is the position your body holds while you sit, stand and walk, and the words used for it get loose fast. Forward head posture, text neck (also called tech neck), rounded shoulders, a neck hump, flat back and sway back are all ways of describing where the head, shoulders and pelvis sit relative to each other. This section explains what each term means, how it is measured, and what the research says it does and does not predict. The short version: no single posture is proven to cause pain, but long stretches in one position, especially with the head tipped forward over a screen, are linked to neck and upper back discomfort. Changing position often matters more than finding a perfect one. Each article says how strong the evidence is, which exercises and habits have support, and when a symptom is worth showing to a clinician.
- Strong consistent results from trials and reviews
- Moderate good studies, some gaps
- Limited few or small studies
Coming soon
Guides we are writing for this topic.