Teaching Proper Posture and Body Mechanics

Teaching proper posture and body mechanics is the best way to prevent back pain. We need to be proactive in preventing back pain as 80% of adults will develop low back pain. That is a lot of people, making posture and body mechanics relevant to EVERYONE. Proper posture gives us the ability to participate in ADLs as proper posture gives us the freedom to move our arms and be taller in order to obtain a larger visual field. Back injuries are also the leading cause of work related injuries. A great way to prevent work related injuries is by simply improving posture and body mechanics.

So how can we teach proper posture and body mechanics to our clients? A great way is to model proper techniques. If your clinic has a built in kitchen take your client to the dishwasher. If it is safe to do so, you could start by asking your client to show you what they think the proper way to load a dishwasher. Next, you will walk them through the actual proper technique, which is using a golfer's lift. The golfer's lift uses a straight spine, lift straight leg to act as counter weight, bend opposite hip, use one arm as a support, and one arm to reach down to place dish in dishwasher. After you have walked them through the technique have them practice and make corrections as they go. Another example of a technique that can be used to fix posture is the "slouch-overcorrect" technique. You would both be seated in a chair and the therapist will demonstrate first, talking through the steps. You then have the patient slowly slouch in the chair for 1-2 seconds and then sit up as straight as possible and hold another 1-2 seconds. Have them release that erect posture about 10%. Having them practice this a few times will show them what correct posture feels like and therefore will be able to become better alert to their bad posture habits in the future.