Postural

Postural analysis is imperative for appropriate physical therapy evaluation.  Postural analysis involves assessing the body’s structure as it relates to the biomechanical demands of the system in addition to the neuromuscular control necessary to maintain that structure in order to be able to perform all functional activities throughout the day.  Good postural analysis examines joint positioning in relation to the ground and to other joints.

Postural issues arise for a variety of reasons including poor neuromuscular control, changes from static positioning (prolonged sitting), active overuse (eg. constant poor movement patterns such as lifting), weakness with subsequent muscle imbalance and genetic predisposition (eg. Osteoporosis).  Dysfunctional posture almost always leads to changes in movement patterning resulting in further compensation of the biomechanical and neuromuscular systems to perform functional activities.

Our approach to postural control has evolved from the work of Florence Kendall, Stewart McGill, Vladimir Janda to name a few.  It addresses a phenomenon called tensegrity, which is usually thought of as an architectural term popularized by Tom Myers to define a structure in which the rigid components of the structure do not touch each other but are held in place by a series of tensioned cables, which help to maintain the shape of the overall structure.  The rigid components of the body are the bones that are essentially held together at the joints by the tension produced from the muscles and tendons.  This system can become dysfunctional when there is an imbalance of the supporting musculature resulting ultimately in overall structural alteration and even failure.  Our treatment involves education of exercise, individualized for each persons dysfunction. This includes self range of motion (joints), stretching (soft tissues and muscles), and neuromuscular reeducation (body awareness and muscle balance).

Consistent performance of one’s home exercise program is essential to recovery of normal postural control because of the emphasis on neuromuscular re-education.  It takes about 4000 repetitions of doing something correctly in order to affect a change in postural presentation!