Pain deserves attention and context.
Pain is a personal experience shaped by biological, psychological and social influences. It cannot be read directly from one posture or reduced to a measurement of tissue damage.
The International Association for the Study of Pain’s definition and accompanying notes support this broader understanding. A person’s pain is real even when its relationship to visible tissue findings is unclear. Read the IASP definition and notes.
Structural findings need context too.
In a prospective study, Boden and colleagues found lumbar MRI abnormalities in some people who had never experienced low-back pain, sciatica or neurogenic claudication. Findings on a scan therefore need to be interpreted alongside the person’s history, symptoms and examination. Read the primary study, 1990.
That observation does not mean all findings are harmless or that pain should be ignored. It shows why structure and symptoms need to be considered together.
Where posture fits.
Posture changes mechanical demand. The effect on an individual depends on the task, tissue condition, capacity and many other factors. A mechanical explanation alone is not a diagnosis or a prediction of pain.
Sources checked 1 November 2026