Posture Correcting Workout Clothes: Worth the Cost?
Medicine meets media once again in the world of physical medicine. Our current society is going through a pandemic of poor posture. Upper cross syndrome, kyphosis, “tech neck”, thoracic outlet, and brachial plexus disorders are a few of the disorders running rampant due to poor posture. Is there an easy solution to correcting, or better yet preventing the inevitable slouch that has taken over? The internet, the cause of many posture issues, may have actually provided an answer: posture correcting clothing.
A specific posture correcting clothing, Forme(TM), has been blowing up on social media since Taylor Swift wore it during her workouts on the Era’s tour. Since then, it has been all over: Instagram, Facebook, the Today Show, etc. Does it really work?
As a chiropractor, I tend to be skeptical of anything that claims to correct posture and spinal alignment. Looking into the last 5 years of research on corrective bras and workout clothes in combination with the studies that have been done by the company Forme, there appears to be potential for short term results for posture correction and increased biofeedback. No significant long-term results were noted.
Let’s talk about the science of posture correcting devices. Posture is maintained by the curvature of the spine, position of the shoulders/shoulder blades, and activation of postural stabilization muscles. A posture corrective device typically tries to mimic the natural alignment and use elastic forces to provide an opposing force to incorrect posture positions. It also encourages biofeedback.
Biofeedback is the process by which the body makes corrections. Based on the sensory information coming from the environment, the body gets the opportunity to respond. For example, when touching something hot, the signal quickly travels to the nervous system so the body can remove itself from the hot stimuli. Sports tapes, such as Kinesio-TapeⓇ or RockTape, use a similar mechanism of biofeedback to help support the body with proper movement and stabilization. Kinesiology tape applies directional tension to the skin. This enhances proprioceptive feedback, improves joint stability, and reduces fatigue during motion. David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian helped revolutionize the research on how the body senses heat, touch, and pain supporting the use of sports taping. This research even won a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine and is a large part of the science behind corrective sports bras and clothing.
That’s right! There actually is science behind the idea of corrective work-out clothes, just like there is behind sports taping. Forme is just one of many companies that have experimented with proprioceptive feedback clothing in order to correct posture. Other devices, such as posture straps, tape, and even less mobile materials have been experimented with to implement posture changes. Over the years, and after examining research on multiple different devices, the general consensus is that there are definitely short-term benefits to these devices. It can reduce scapular winging and elevation, as well as remind the wearer to straighten their mid-back which are amazing benefits, but they appear to be mostly immediate effects, not long lasting.
For the specific brand everyone has been talking about recently, Forme, there are not yet any independent studies. The studies on their site were done by internal scientists or family members. While this is the case, the research is not to be totally discarded. It holds up to the scientific concepts and matches research done in the past on similar products. Forme also boasts about being FDA-registered, which makes customers think it is FDA-approved. Instead, it means that Forme has registered the medical device locations with the FDA.
Now that we have established that there are some benefits and the science appears sound, the question remains, is it worth getting? Whether it is worth getting a device, should be assessed on an individual basis and discussed with a healthcare professional. These devices can be as cheap as the tape you buy at the local store, or the almost $200 dollar celebrity, cute, sports top that is sold at Forme. More research needs to be done to see if it is truly superior to other corrective devices, so currently the value is subjective. Lastly, will a posture corrective device fix my posture? By itself, the answer is simple, It Will Not! With the addition of therapeutic exercises and corrective chiropractic adjustments, it can definitely be a useful tool.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966636220306111
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/21/2832
https://www.reviewed.com/style/content/forme-review-power-posture-correcting-bra
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