If your back or neck hurts at the end of the day, posture may be the culprit. You don’t have to be a gymnast to need good alignment. The truth is, posture affects how your entire musculoskeletal system functions — and when it’s off, pain is the result.

Slouching at your desk, leaning over a phone, and even standing with your weight unevenly distributed puts extra pressure on the joints, especially in the spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. Over time, this leads to inflammation, stiffness, and eventually chronic pain.

Back pain can be frustrating, debilitating, and seemingly endless. If you’ve been dealing with chronic discomfort, you’re not alone—millions of people struggle with persistent back pain that just won’t go away. Maybe you’ve tried pain medications, stretching, or even physical therapy, yet the pain keeps coming back. Why does this happen, and what can you do to find real, lasting back pain relief?