Posture Assessment
Front View
A quick Posture assessment is one of the simplest things you can do to promote better health and possibly alleviate pain. All it takes is a few minutes to assess your posture, loosen any obviously tight areas that may have formed, and make a few adjustments.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t meant to replace a more thorough assessment. It takes training and an objective eye to really appreciate what is going on under the skin.
Assessing posture from the front ‘on’ position offers the opportunity to understand our posture from another perspective.
As with any posture assessment process, this is a starting point for your inquiry and should not take the place of professional care.
To begin your Posture Assessment.
Stand comfortably in front of a full-length mirror, or take a full-length photo of yourself from the front on.
Take your time to settle into a comfortable standing position without ‘self’ correcting too much. Then, read over the points described below, and see how your posture patterns unfold.
BEGIN YOUR POSTURE ASSESSMENT AT THE FEET
Foot and Ankle
Do your feet:
- Look like they are resting evenly?
- Mirror each other (placed the same side to side)?
- Face straight ahead or slightly out? Is one foot turned out more than the other?
How are the arches of your feet? Are they:
- collapsed, and not offering the necessary support for your feet.
Knee and Lower Leg
- One knee turn in or out more than the other? Or,
- Do they both turn too far in or out?
Thigh
- Does it look like you stand on one leg more than the other?
- Do you favor one leg/side more than the other?
Pelvis
- Does one side of your Pelvis sit higher than the other?
- Does it look as though you are shifting over to your left or right? Or are they balanced in the middle?
To better understand what is happening at your Pelvis, look at the position of your elbows. Compare how much space you have between the elbow and waist on the left and the elbow and waist on the right.
- Do they seem similar? Or,
- Does one side expose less space between the two points?
Rib Cage
Does your Rib Cage fall more towards your left or right side?
- Does it sit evenly above your Pelvis?
- Does one side of your rib cage stand out a little more than the other?
- Is the chest tight and drawn in, or does it stick out puffed up and over-inflated?
- Is there more space between the elbow and the rib cage on one side compared to the other?
Shoulder Girdle
- Is one shoulder sitting higher than the other?
- Do your shoulders seem to rest too far to the left or right of the Pelvis? Or,
- Do they rest comfortably above on the Rib Cage?
Head and Neck
- Left,
- Right, OR
- Sit comfortably in the middle?
PLEASE NOTE
The information provided should not replace the advice and expertise of an accredited health care provider. Any inquiry into posture care and any potential impact on your health and wellbeing should be directed to your health care provider.