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Posture: To Cue For Better Posture

Considerations for a Posture Based Therapist

Do you remember your mother asking you to sit up straight. Or a school teacher telling you not to slouch in class. Asking someone to stand up straight, draw your core in, or lift your chest upwards and out only allows you to touch someone for a moment in time. It is often an attempt to apply an external influence to push through to an individuals unique posture pattern, rather than release, mold, and expand.

The same can be said when a therapist working with a client uses verbal posture cues or an exercise to influence the outward makeup of their clients. For example, many a Personal Trainer has tried to build up the area between the shoulder blades (scapula) as a way of ‘removing’ rounded shoulders – often having the affect  of driving a pattern deeper into the body. Sometimes it’s touching on small changes that can make the difference.

PERCEIVING BALANCED POSTURE

Posture cues

Quite often well-meaning activity can drive a pattern deeper into the body – potentially deepening existing unwanted patterns.

Many factors influence how we perceive balance and posture within the body, including:

  • Issues of support from belowhow stable do we feel on our feet and legs, and does this have an affect further up the body;
  • The capacity of the body to adapt to change – are we ready to be taken (pushed) beyond our existing ability, and
  • The ability for our structure (posture) to work with any changes we impose upon it – how well have you understood what has been asked of you?

By understanding factors that can influence change, it becomes possible to make a change. While there may be moments in this post where the sentiment may appear negative towards cues, there is a clear and definite place in the therapeutic process for cues and clues.

The client’s ability to use audio, visual, or tactile cues (to name a few), to build kinaesthetic awareness allows for a more comprehensive and deeper approach to fostering confidence and ultimately independence to the client.

FASCIA: A WHOLE BODY SYSTEM

Examples of fascia

The role of fascia as a whole-body system has the capacity to alter movement patterns far from the sight of any restriction. It’s through this network of interconnections that the fascial system draws its importance.

If for some reason mobility is compromised due to trauma, lack of use, or poor habitual movement patters, then directional pulls on fascial sheets (or the ability of the fascia of one muscle to move on another) may be limited or completely impaired.

It is here where non-direct approaches, like cues, can find it difficult to influence change. Changes made to the fascial system can impact how we move and hold ourselves making it difficult to ‘lift’ out of any an existing pattern.

Asking someone to stand up straight or push out your chest can be an exercise in futility – frustrating for both client and practitioner alike.

While cues and clues can have some influence on how we move and hold ourselves it is important to consider the positive impact that direct approaches can create.

IMPROVING OVERALL BALANCED POSTURE

Quite often the issue at hand is not necessarily the area that may be presenting symptomatically.

Posture planes of movementIt’s beyond the scope of this post to formulate a program of change based upon principles and goals, however there are a few considerations that can influence any questions you may have.

Firstly, look if you can see where any issues or limitations can be holding you back. Map the way out from this point to the most superficial aspects of the presenting pattern – developing a 3-dimensional understanding of an individual’s structural (form) composition.

  • Knowing down allows you to find up
  • Knowing deep allows you to find superficial
  • Knowing front allows you to find back

For a PRACTITIONER the need to create balance between these relationships requires a situation in which all these elements can be improved.

Quite often the issue at hand is not necessarily the area that may be presenting symptomatically.

The degree to which change is possible is relative to how well a therapist or trainer can piece together the goals and needs of a session and/or series of sessions. Once an understanding of what is occurring is recognized addressing any compensatory (secondary) patterns before addressing core issues can influence structural/functional needs.

IN CLOSING

Posture, balance and Integration require an approach that creates change to the ‘whole’ person – with the level of order possible a key point of reference.

A structured program that combines a range of skills and protocols can positively influence our ability to move – leading to a more responsive body when training.

By taking this into consideration when developing an treatment, exercise or movement-based program you are better able to influence change, while allowing the whole-body to better adapt to expectations placed upon it through the use of CUES.

FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS
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