Physical Therapy Improves Posture
What Is Proper Posture and Why Is It Important?
We have heard countless times to sit up straight and that posture is important. But what is good posture? Our therapists believe that good posture, whether sitting, standing, or laying down, is when our body is aligned in such a way as to provide the least amount of stress and strain to the muscles, joints, and ligaments.
Our Therapists Are Expert Posture Educators
That is why we teach our patients to sit, stand, or lay down a certain way. We help our patients to get into the perfect alignment to reduce stress and aid in recovery from an injury.
Posture Plays An Important Role In Recovery
Posture plays an important role in recovering from injury. For example, a shoulder patient needs to regain the proper position and balance at the shoulder, rib cage/ sternum, and shoulder blade. The back patient must sit, stand, and lay a certain way to prevent pain and reduce stress on a herniated disc. And a knee patient needs to sit a certain way so that pain doesn’t affect their job.
Adapting Postural Training To Our Patients’ Needs
Fortunately for you, our therapists know what proper posture looks like and adapts it to your injuries. While we all strive for the perfect posture, because of different circumstances, not all postures look the same…but we have the same goal in mind: optimal posture for optimal health.
Physical Therapy Improves Body Mechanics
What Are Proper Body Mechanics? Why Do We Need Them?
If posture is the positions that we hold during our activities like sitting, standing, and sleeping, then body mechanics is how we move while we are performing different activities.
For example, walking is a movement performed while in a standing position so the body mechanics of walking are how we maintain good posture during this movement.
The same goes for when we try to lift, push, pull, or carry an object at work. We posture ourselves properly then we move in such a manner to remain efficient during that task.
Body Mechanics and Efficiency
So, proper body mechanics are when we are at our most efficient and effective during our daily activities. To put it another way, body mechanics is a balancing act between static and dynamic movements.
Posture in Regards to Body Mechanics
To perform any activity, you must maintain the proper posture. This includes keeping neutral positions in your spine, head position, and shoulder/ shoulder blade relationships.
Base of Support and Center of Gravity
When your base of support is properly situated under your center of gravity it requires less muscular involvement and therefore, less strain to your body.
Muscle Activation and Activity Technique
Proper body mechanics helps us apply the most efficient activity technique (running mechanics or lifting mechanics) which requires less reliance on muscle activation. The more efficient your movement the less muscle is needed. If less muscle is used then there is less fatigue during that activity.
How Do Our Therapists Help?
Our therapists are highly-trained in proper body mechanics and include it throughout our treatment sessions. It is engrained in our philosophies and it shows. All of our patients will have some form of functional body mechanics training during their treatment sessions.
Physical Therapy Improves Ergonomics
What Is Proper Ergonomics? Why Do We Need It?
Ergonomics is the relationship between us and our working environments. The most prevolent example is sitting at our desk at work. Our desk heights, seat height, and lighting are all part of our ergonomics. Yes, there is more to it than that but let’s suffice it to say that our position (posture) at our desk helps us perform our activities (body mechanics) most efficiently.
Without proper ergonomics in our work situations we will become less efficient and this causes unneccessary stress and strain to our bodies.
How Do Our Therapists Help?
Our therapists understand how important ergonomics is when performing work activities. That is why we teach our patients the proper work station positions, either sitting or standing, so they can adjust them when they get back to work.