Posture and Body Mechanics

        Posture is defined as the relative alignment of body parts. It is ongoing and changing as the body moves throughout space.  It is important to remind clients what correct posture looks like and explain to them the reasons why it is important. Keeping ideal posture maintains skeletal and muscular balance and minimize the risk of injury. For example, a person with forward head posture, is putting stress on the hyoid bone and neck extensors, and increasing the rsik of strain and injury. Posture is also important because it requires less effort and energy expenditure to stand and move when you are properly aligned. An individual with a spine curving inward (Lordosis), will have tight and shortened chest muscles which leads to impaired respiration and greater exertion. 
        Body mechanics is the way that one moves the body during daily activities. Proper body mechanics can protect the body from pain, especially the back.  It is important to maintain proper body mechanics because faulty mechanics are often the cause of back pain. 80% of the adult population will have low back pain at some point. Improper mechanics can cause disk herniation, muscle strain, or stiffness. Proper body mechanics are not only important to protecting ourselves, but also important in protecting the clients that we are helping. If we dot stabilize and assist in the correct areas while stabilizing our own bodies, it can be harmful to the client.
           As a therapist, I would suggest that clients who spend much of their time sitting, use an unsupported desk chair or standing desk. I would teach clients proper form when typing at a computer and provide resources to adaptive mouse pads and keyboards.  I would teach individuals to stand from their desk using their core and leg muscles and not pulling themselves up on a desk or chair. If the individual is in a job that requires lifting or picking items up, I would instruct the client to use a broomstick to practice keeping the spine erect and feet flat.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk- A Man Without a Pinky

         In this story, the poor soldier did not know where his confidence would lead him when boasting about a fine and trustee lighter. Thankfully, the wife stepped in before her husband could take a whack at the soldier's little finger and add another victim to his list. Had the wife not stepped in, the soldier might have lost the finger. Although it is called the "baby finger", its' job is large and mighty.
         The pinky finger is a key player in gripping. Every finger is involved in gripping but the pinky finger has the greatest range of motion in the aspect of flexion. Each finger converges toward the scaphoid as they flex into a fist, allowing for a firmer grip. A task that requires gripping that would become difficult for the soldier is pouring a bottle of milk. Considering the time period of this story, 1948, we know that milk at that time was delivered in glass bottles. Milk in the 1940s was not purchased in gallons and cartons that we know today. The soldier might have enjoyed a cold glass of milk or a bowl of cereal, and without a pinky finger, this treat would be difficult. The type of grip necessary for is a cylindrical grip. During prehension, the soldier would open the hand and position his fingers and thumb around the milk bottle. This initial grip would not be firm and the action of pouring a heavy and full jug by pronation would be unstable because of the grip.
         The soldier could modify this task of pouring milk by adding pumps to the bottle. You can picture the mechanics of this pump by thinking about pumping sauce or ketchup from a container at a fast food restaurant or soap from a bottle of sanitizer. By adding a pump, he could use one hand to stabilize the bottle and push down on the pump with the other hand. Pushing down on a pump would not require gripping and allow him to easily transfer milk to a bowl for cereal. Don't cry over spilled milk, Mr. Soldier. With modifications and OT think, there is a way!