Posture is a big topic of conversation. Patients ask me consistently, “Andreas what is the best posture? I think my posture is really bad! ” 

Many of our clients are recognizing that good posture may help with neck, shoulder, or back pain. I can assure you learning good posture is one of the significant, cheap, and easiest ways to reduce stress on those body parts. 

Unfortunately, there is a misconception about what good posture is. Stand up straight, don’t slouch, sit straight! Are you familiar with those type of tough encouragements to get out of the slouch?  Gave you heard these commands from your mother, teacher, military officer, yoga teacher, or your dance instructor?  

I remembered very clearly to be called in front of my physical therapy student peers in the classroom to demonstrate bad posture since. At the time, my posture was considered more than marginal! My modeling of bad posturing provided a great demonstration of how bad posture is presented without even having to look for somebody else outside of the classroom! Nevertheless, I can say I learned my lesson!  They didn’t hold back in criticizing me in a joking way!   

Gravity is probably the most significant component of stressing out your spine. Gravity is never going to go away unless you lie down and really do not move in an upright position. As soon as you rise in the morning or sit in a chair, your body requires to be aligned as much as possible in order to reduce stress to various direct structures of the skeletal muscular system. When we compare the body with a tower system of blocks defined by the different joint structures (knee, hip, lower back, middle back, and neck), we end up finding those blocks being shifted..  those body regions which are supposed to stack up in an optimal alignment. Each bone or body region holding in an upright position is supposed to be in alignment with the plumb line. If that’s not the case, shear forces are created on all the different structures where those body regions connect and may then shift and significantly deviate.  

A great example is the amount of stress we experience in the upper-middle back caused by your head position when consistently leaning forward or looking down, when we are texting on our phone or reading or work with any activities in front of us below the shoulder girdle, exponential stress to the upper back is being recorded. In other words, the head which is in between 10 to 14 pounds equivalent to a bowling ball, creates a stress of over 60 to 80 pounds of torque in the upper middle back.  

No wonder people have problems in that area of the spine creating tremendous muscle tension and guarding. The same principles of sheer forces when body regions are shifted in the gravity influenced positions will cause this type of massive forces to stress the skeleton and muscular system out of causing the associated irritations and pains. 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the body is complex and in order to understand optimal postural alignment, awareness, and control, it requires significant understanding of the musculus skeletal system which are highly complicated. 

At Results Physical Therapy, we are utilizing the highly effective Results Treatment Method (RTM). We have identified and created an optimal sequential system to create an effective body awareness about posture and postural control. We are proud to say that patients who go through the training are learning to hold their body regions in place with the provided tools, express tremendous gratitude. They experience a release of pain, control of their body not only statically, (standing postures) but also dynamically which includes optimal walking and running activities. 

If you experience pains in your body, especially in the spine caused by possible postural deviations, weakness, and unawareness, contact Results Physical Therapy at 619-437-6450. Send us an email to results@resultsrehab.com, to schedule a free screen done by one of the highly trained, RTM certified Doctor of Physical Therapy. They will be able to identify the causes of your pains, spinal deviations, and will give you options to help you to be able to function with a pain-free life! 

 

Written by Andreas Schenk: Owner of Results Physical Therapy