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Posture
Postural alignment must be understood as the relationship
the body has with gravity. Gravity is a very powerful force that is rarely
acknowledged as having any affect on the body.
It is a force that pulls
the body toward the earth. The body can be moved into an alignment that
minimizes the work done to hold itself in a “sea of gravity”.
This alignment will create less stress on joints and improve the functioning
of internal organs.
The philosophy of osteopathic medicine embraces postural alignment as a key to the body being able to heal itself. It is said, “structure determines function”. This means that the health and functioning of our internal organs is affected by the structure and alignment of the musculoskeletal system. For example, if a patient has an exaggerated kyphosis of the thoracic spine, this will affect the functioning of the lungs. The kyphosis will interfere with movement of the diaphragm and intercostals muscles will therefore limit lung capacity.
With perfect alignment, muscles have normal tone and are not required to strain in order to support the body. On the other hand, without the awareness of how to align our body, we tend to collapse. Fatigue, gravity, stress, negative emotions, etc. cause us to slump. With poor postural alignment certain muscles become increasingly tense as they overwork to hold the body up. Opposing muscles grow weak. The imbalance of muscle tension causes increase wear and tear on joints.
It is easy to understand postural alignment by looking at plum lines drawn through silhouettes of the body. As an architect might look at a building and say that it is structurally sound or not, physicians can learn to screen for structural problems, and teach patients how to correct them. Think of the body as being made up of a series of blocks stacked one on top or the other. Structural health requires that the center of gravity of each block representing the body (the head, chest, abdomen, and legs) sit in a stable relationship with gravity. The center of the head (which is usually the ear) should sit over the center of the shoulder. The center of the shoulder should sit over the center of the hips. The center of the hips should sit over the center of the feet. Structural soundness also implies balance or symmetry between right and left sides of the body.
The next important concept to understand about musculoskeletal alignment is that the balance of muscles in our body determines structural alignment, not our bones. Muscles move our bones and hold our body up. Bones create length. Flexor muscles that pull the body forward must balance extensor muscles that pull the body backward. Side bending and twisting muscles must be balanced for symmetry right and left sides. This will prevent the spine from twisting of pulling to the side.
With perfect alignment, muscles have normal tone and are not required to strain in order to support the body. On the other hand, without the awareness of how to align our body, we tend to collapse. Fatigue, gravity, stress, negative emotions, etc. cause us to slump. With poor postural alignment certain muscles become increasingly tense as they overwork to hold the body up. Opposing muscles grow weak. The imbalance of muscle tension causes increase wear and tear on joints. I often use the analogy of having the front end of a car out of alignment. Everyone knows that tires will wear unevenly and wear out faster. The same physics apply to the joints in the body. If you observe people in a shopping mall or grocery store, you’ll see that very few have a sense of how to hold the body erect. It’s not difficult to see why most people end up stooped over in their old age.
Postural alignment can be corrected by gradually strengthening weak muscles and stretching contracted, shortened muscles to bring the body back into balance. Centuries ago yoga was developed to address postural health. Hatha yoga can be summarized as a highly sophisticated method for aligning the spine. Working with gravity, the systematic stretching and strengthening exercises begin to loosen tendons, muscles, and fascia that have become contracted and tightened. As muscles regain their suppleness and strength, the body regains freedom of movement. A more efficient and comfortable posture becomes possible. What at first feels awkward or difficult (standing up straight) becomes a habit, and the new posture becomes the norm.
My training in osteopathic medicine emphasized treating structural problems with manipulative techniques. Manipulative therapy can be very helpful, but it means that you rely on someone else to “fix” you. Yoga gives you the tools to fix yourself. The practice of yoga produces remarkable changes in the body because it becomes integrated into how you sit, stand, breathe, and think all day long. Improved health comes through not only better joint health, but improved circulation of blood and lymph, better oxygenation, and optimal placement of internal organs. The result is more efficient functioning of all systems on the body including muscular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, endocrine and nervous systems.
PRINCIPLES OF WELLNESS: Overview | Posture | Breathing | Diet | Supporting Research