Say NO!! To Postural Faults
The following article is not mean’t to be an extensive expose on postural faults,but merely a brief synopsis into some common causes of faulty posture, so the reader gets some insight.
WORKPLACE
Do you have a desk job, sitting for long periods? This is one of the most important factors contributing to postural faults that must be addressed before injury occurs,because excessive sitting shortens the hipflexors, which then pull the hips forward,thus stretching the gluteal muscles,which are comprised of 3 muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. These muscles form the largest muscle mass in the body, and are normally very strong; but in the lengthened state they lose reciprical innervation and become dormant,losing the ability to function properly when required. Believe it or not, over 80% of the population have this problem to varying degrees. Poor posture can be seen everywhere. Furthermore, the forward movement of the hips (anterior pelvic tilt) forces the lumbar spine to bend excessively and lengthens the hamstrings,placing undue stress on both the hamstrings and back extensor muscles. The excessive curvature of the lumbar spine then contributes to excessive curvature of the thoracic spine,which then affects the cervical spine (neck).These influences upon our spinal collumn have serious consequences on our muscular/skeletal system over time,causing many shoulder and knee injuries in particular;and all of this can be caused just by excessive sitting! Do you perform a lot of heavy lifting? Perhaps also requiring you to rotate your hips–this unbalances the internal/external hip rotators.
FOOTWEAR
Shoes too tight? Poor insole? High heels–theres really no place in the workforce for them–the best shoe is a flat shoe.
INJURIES
Think about all of the accidents you’ve had since you were born.Any scars, or calcified boney prominences, or limited joint range of motion,etc? When you injure a bodypart it is painful for awhile,and so you compensate by shifting your bodyweight off the injured leg, for example.If the injury is slow to heal,you will develop a new pattern of movement to compensate–you think it’s efficient,but I assure you that over time, the imbalances created between the left and right sides of the body WILL cause problems.The good news is they are all treatable to varying degrees.
PAIN
Pain inhibits the deep stabilizing muscles,while activating the hip and back flexor muscles which increases anterior hip tilt.Normally,the deep posterior muscles,such as multifidus, work cohesively with transversus abdominus,diaphragm and pelvic floor as a functional stabilizing unit.
AGING
Aging puts more stress on synovial facet joints and ligaments,leaving them inflamed and tender.Movements become restricted and alignments alter.
MUSICIANS
1.Pianists have a tendency to posteriorly tilt the pelvis while playing,and stressing the upper trapezius,rounding the shoulders and poking the chin out.
2.Violinists use the same arm to steady the instrument,and the other arm to play it,with the head tilted unnaturally,always playing on the same side of the body.Asymetrical behavior causes imbalances and tightness, both from the lack of balance between right and left sides of the body,and overuse.
3.Drummers are sitting for long periods,knees spread wide,shoulders bunching up,etc. Issues with tight external hip rotators,weak adductors,tight upper traps,etc. As you can see,I’ve randomly selected three musicians to discuss briefly.The general problems associated with poor posture while seated apply to everyone,but added to this is the type of instrument being played which brings it’s own set of problems.The standing musician will have some of the same postural faults, but their instrument is the main causitive factor.
SPORTING LIFESTYLE
1. Swimming
Breathing on one side,rather than bilaterally,can cause supraspinatus impingement,which is compounded by the high volume of training swimming requires,and the ensuing fatigue that occurs causes the elbow to start leading the hand,thus increasing the impingement.
2. Cycling
An in-depth article is forthcoming about the ramifications of ill-fitting bicycles,so I’ll be brief: rounded shoulder syndrome,with excessively curved upper spine;overworked upper trapezius,and tight internal shoulder rotators are all common problems associated with competitive cycling.
3. Racquet sports
Some areas of concern are the imbalanced shoulder rotators–tight internals,weaker externals on the dominant (playing) side,and the carry-over effect on the hip rotators showing similar problems.The problems are due to the prevalence of internal rotation strokes,for example the tennis “forehand”.The external rotators need strengthening to balance the opposing muscles,whereas the internals need to be lengthened.However,there is very little difference between both arms concerning external rotation,for example,a tennis “backhand”.
The other concern is the achilles tendon which is a frequently injured area in racquet sports, so ankle mobility needs priority and I have the solution to all of these issues,and more,with special exercises and routines for subscriber’s. For a FREE consultation, click here now, and receive a free gift.
Shane shiels
