From the moment technology found its way into our everyday lives, the ideas of posture and pain have been inseparable. Whether it’s spending hours at the office, working from home, commuting to and from work, watching our favorite show, or simply relaxing, we find ourselves spending most of our days sitting. It’s hard to avoid, even for those of us who love to go on weekend hikes or follow a morning exercise routine.

These stationary habits have us not only moving less, but more importantly, less dynamically and hours at a time. If left unchecked, our muscles may gradually forget how to move and carry out their assigned task. Each muscle and joint has a specific design function, and when one stops performing its function properly, it will eventually become dysfunctional. 

As this process unfolds, however, the human body won’t remain idle. Our bodies have the capability to seamlessly create compensations in an attempt to do exactly that—compensate for the dysfunctions in order to continue carrying out physical demands. In other words, when a part of the body stops doing its designated job properly, another part will take over for it. While this might seem beneficial to us, compensations can quickly compound and overburden the body, leading to pain and substantial physical limitations.

Because all parts of the human body work together, dysfunctions will almost always result in some kind compensation. Compensations deserve our special attention due their subtle nature. Their potential side effects—inefficient movement, limitations, increase in risk of injury, and chronic pain—can sneak up on a seemingly healthy body all too easily.