Posture

Question 1

What is posture

Answer 1

• composite of the positions of all joints of the body at any given moment
• good and bad postures

Question 2

Ideal posture from a lateral view

Answer 2

• external auditory meatus
• odontoid C2
• Bodies of CS
• shoulder (AC)
• midway trunk
• slight posterior to hip (external hip extension)
• greater trochanter
• slightly anterior to knee (external knee extension arm)
• slight anterior to ankle/malleolus

Question 3

Ideal posture from a posterior view

Answer 3

• head in neutral
• CS vertical
• shoulders level
• scapular neutral 3-4 inches apart
• TS/LS vertical
• Pelvis level

Question 4

What is ideal sitting posture

Answer 4

• holding lordosis drives sitting posture
• knees below hips help to hold sitting posture
• 10% of MCV is required to hold posture

Question 5

What contributes to postural stability

Answer 5

• core/deep muscules such as rectus capitis anterior
• global muscles
• inert:
  1. neutral zone: good posture requires active control but nothing is stressed
  2. elastic zone = TERT is being applied to sturctures
• Active control: muscles are firing to hold the position
• neural control: natural sway 2-3 cm in each direction to give input about where we are in space

Question 6

what are the effects of faulty postures

Answer 6

• faulty breathing
• stretching back muscles that will eventually grow longer/weaker especially in mid range (become actively insufficient)
• anterior muscles get shorter
• posterior mirgation of nucleaus in annulus
• stretching the posterior annulus
• annular fibers are attched to bodies of vertebrae and traction will stretch and pull on bone = bone spurs
• getting tissue into 6-8% of stress strain curve = microtrauma
• articular cartilage relies on movement and not moving through the full range could cause break down
• poor posture can decrease strenght

Question 7

Sleeping posture

Answer 7

• mattress: soft/firm?
• pillows: numer/type?
• position: prone, supine, sidelying?

Question 8

Posture assessment

Answer 8

1. standing:
   - plumb bob/posture grid
   - adequate exposure
   - lateral/posterior assessment
2. sitting:
   - relaxed/unsupported