Posture

What is good posture?

Optimal postural alignment is a prerequisite for optimal movement function. It allows postural stability – the ability to maintain the position of the body, and specifically the centre of body mass within specific boundaries of space.

What is Optimal Posture alignment?

• Places minimum stress and strain on the supporting structures of the body while maximizing body efficiency
• Is a state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects the body against injury or progressive deformity
• Is one that allows optimal movement

An Optimal Standing Posture may look like:

• Tongue on the roof of the mouth, neutral bite, no clenched teeth
• Plumb line from earlobe bisects neck and drops just behind collar bone
• Slight convex curve of the neck with no tilt & rotation to one side, chin poke or retraction
• No Shoulder blade drooping, elevation, movement forward or winging
• Level collar bones
• Slight concave curve of the middle back, no big ‘hunch’
• Slight convex curve of the lower back, no big hollow
• Minimal muscular effort
• Even heights of the pelvic crests
• No big forward or backward tilt of the pelvis
• Plumb line slightly behind hip joint and in front of the knee joint
• Front of the hips relaxed
• Knees slightly bent, not hyper extended
• Even weight on both feet with weight going down through the arches
• Relaxed toes, well maintained arches and feet slightly turned

The Causes of Postural Alteration

Postural alignment is the end result of the way the body has been used over a prolonged period of time. Abnormal muscle tension and alignment stress alter the compressive loads through bone, discs, ligaments and joints.

Serious causes

• Injury, intense pain, fracture

General Causes

• Poor Eye sight – use of bifocals
• Compensation for an injury
• Muscular imbalance – weakness and tightness
• Boney deformity – leg length difference

Emotional and physical tension

Emotional and physical tension can often manifest as muscles being held tightly, teeth clenching, raised shoulders

General Health

• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Post surgical, de-conditioning

Work

• Prolonged periods of sitting in front of a computer, in a car and standing

Sleeping

• Poor support from a pillow and/or bed

Recreational Activities

• Do you do a lot of a particular sport e.g. sailing, chess

“A body is said to be in a position of equilibrium when there is a balanced distribution of weight and a stable position at each joint. Here the body can suspend ‘easily and freely’- with the best alignment and muscle calibration – therefore minimal effort” (Tobias).

What Typical Poor Postures may look like

Using “classical” postural types as indicators of postural alignment faults can help illustrate the stresses that are applied to the body as a result of changes in muscle strength and length. The following pictures describe the different “classical” static postural positions or types.