Posture Advice from Massage Therapist Kate West

It’s rare to that you find someone with the ‘perfect’ posture, but the idea is that it is aspired to. Below is a diagram of what we should all be aiming for.

There tends to be 3 types of ‘bad’ posture that practitioners see most often:
Sway back posture:

• Head is too far forward
• Neck has an increased curve
• Shoulders are falling forward and down
• Chest and Rib Cage The Upper chest collapses, flattening out the chest wall. Chest also moves back and in.
• Upper Back has an increased bend forward (Kyphosis).
• Lower Back flattens out
• Pelvis tilting under (Posterior tilt) and pushing forward.
• Knees locked
Flat back posture:

• Head is too far forward
• Neck has an increased curve
• Shoulders are falling forward and down
• Chest and Rib Cage falling forward
• Upper Back Straightening out as you move down the spine
• Lower Back flattens out
• Pelvis tilting or tucking under (Posterior tilt)
• Knees locked

Hollow back posture:

• Head is too far forward
• Neck has an increased curve
• Shoulders are falling forward and down
• Chest and Rib Cage collapsing
• Upper Back is rounding (Kyphosis)
• Lower Back has an increased curve (Lordosis)
• Pelvis tilting forward (anterior tilt)
Knees locked

Poor posture can effect the body massively. It can mean some muscles shorten and so cannot perform normally and therefore others lengthen which decreases strength. It can also effect blood flow through muscles which can lead to pain spasms.

Poor posture can be the cause of much discomfort and injuries due to the short/tight muscles or the lengthened muscles that allow too much movement possibly leading to injury.

Posture is something that everyone should be very aware of and be trying to correct every minute of every day.

References:

Kendall, 1993
NLSSM – North London School of Sports Massage