Postural Deviations is a blanket term used to describe different ways in which our posture can become unaligned from the ‘norm’ I think almost everyone have some type of postural deviation. Some can have a more dramatic deviation like in ‘the hunch back of Notre Dame’ and some could have a slight rounding of the upper back. In this post I am going to  start talking about the most common postural traits that could lead to more permanent postural deviations.

 

They commonly begin in childhood but can also be brought on by an imbalance in the strength of muscle groups. This imbalance can be brought on by postural habits e.g. sitting at your desk all day and hunching forward, by repetitive labour or as a profession e.g.  Body building.

Postural deviations can cause poor balance, muscle pain and skeletal stress. 

In a previous post I have talked about the importance of stretching because we want to avoid these postural deviations, and I talk briefly on how these muscles work together to keep our posture as correct as possible. To read more on this check out my post on STRETCHING

In this picture you can see what the ‘norm’ is for our posture. Everything balanced nicely on top of each other and your body in perfect harmony. The reality of the situation is however somewhat different. Everyone has bad habits, genetic precursors, and injuries that influence our posture. Even our emotions can affect our posture. 

 

Our body is an amazing refined machine; if it detects that we are coming out of alignment it will start to compensate immediately. Unfortunately it means if we allow postural deviations to go unchecked we can develop more chronic issues. 

Forward head tilt is probably the most common postural trait. This is where your head starts to tilt forward. As your head moves forward, your centre of gravity shifts. To compensate for this shift in the centre of gravity, your upper body drifts backward. To compensate for the upper body shift, your hips tilt forward. And this is how you end up getting bent out of shape.

The most common habits we all have that encourages the head to tilt forward is hunching over a laptop, computer or book! Most of us do this every day without even realising it! 

 

For every inch your head moves "forwards", the head "gains" 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, as they have to work harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping forwards onto your chest. This forces the muscles that raise the chin to remain in constant contraction. This can cause headaches at the base of the skull, and even mimic sinus headaches! It can also give you quite obviously, neck and shoulder pain!

1) Consultation: If you are concerned that you are developing bad postural habits make an appointment with an expert. Seek out a qualified professional you can give you advice and help

2) Strengthen: After you have got your professional assessment, your practitioner will be able to give you an idea which muscles are weak and which need stretching

3) Stretch: Start stretching those poor overworked muscles. See my post on some shoulder stretches to get you started

4) Change: You are going to have to change your routine! Encourage your stretches to become a habit! 

5) Avoid: Try to avoid the activities that encourage bad posture. Try not to sit on the couch with the computer on your lap when you get home in the evenings. 

6) Adapt: For some of us life dictates that we cannot change or avoid the circumstances that could encourage these postural habits so try to adapt where necessary. Let’s go back to the laptop example. If you work from home or in an office hunched over a laptop, this seems an unnecessary risk to your postural health. Get a proper office space set up with the correct ergodynamics. (see my post on managing back pain. Here I explain how your desk should ideally be set up to promote good posture)