Posture

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Posture
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Posture

• Posture a composite of the positions of all the
  joints of the body at any given moment
• Ideal posture an alignment of maximum
  physiological and biomechanical efficiency a
  minimum of stress and strain
• Ideal vs average or normal?

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Faulty Posture

• Any deviation from ideal or good posture
• Standing alignment can be suggestive or specific
  muscle or joint problems
• Muscles in shortened position stronger
• ( adaptive shortness)
• Muscles in lengthened position weaker
• (stretch weakness)
• Hard to distinguish cause and effect!

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Common Postural Deviations

• Forward shoulders
• Weak muscles that adduct scap
• Short pectoral muscles
• Increased lumbar lordosis
• Weak abdominal muscles
• Short iliopsoas

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Faulty Posture

• May lead to pain!
• What is being compressed? What is under tension?
• Cummulative stress over long period of time vs
  sudden severe stress
• Many cases of poor posture without pain????
• Individual flexible
• Changes position frequently

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Standing Posture

• Plumb line test
• Back/front view stand with feet equidistant
  from plumb line
• Side view stand with point just in front of
  lateral malleolus in line with plumb
• Head facing forward, arms relaxed at side, feet
  width of hips
• Are points of reference in line with ideal?
• Can describe as slight, moderate, severe

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Ideal Alignment Lateral View

• Through lobe of ear
• Through shoulder jt
• Through middle of trunk
• Through GT
• Slightly ant to midline through knee
• Slightly ant to lat malleolus

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Ideal Alignment Posterior View

• Head neutral, no tilt/rot
• Spine straight
• Shoulders level
• Scap med borders parallel and 3-4 inches apart
• Pelvis level PSIS same plane
• Hip no ABD/ADD
• LE straight
• Feet parallel, toe-out slightly

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Handedness Effect on Posture

• R handed
• R shoulder lower than L
• Slight deviation of pelvis R
• Hip slightly higher on R
• Slight deviation of spine to L
• L foot more pronated than R
• Kendall