Posture and Body Mechanics

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With 80% of the population suffering from back pain at some point in their lives, it is important that we encourage proper posture and body mechanics through our practice. Faulty posture and body mechanics can lead to back pain which can worsen with unnecessary wear and tear. Explaining proper body mechanics to a client may improve their quality of life! Good body mechanics can prevent or correct problems with posture and protect your body from pain or injury.We can teach proper body mechanics such as bending at the knees rather then the hips when lifting objects from the floor. Another intervention would be to instruct the client on proper posture especially when sitting at a desk. It is easy to "slouch" while typing or writing at a desk. This puts a lot of stress on your cervical vertebrae. In pathology we learned about Wolff's law which states bone will adapt to the load under which it is placed. This explains why we may see a "hunchback" posture in some clients. In this instance the spine grows in the same direction as the stress is held. Therefore it is important to sit upright with the spine erect in order to avoid this issue. Good posture maintains proper muscle and joint usage, prevents abnormal spinal curvature, and centers balance.

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