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Hey bloggers!

Today I'm going to talk to you about the importance of having proper posture and good body mechanics.

Body mechanics - the way one moves the body, spine, and extremities during every day activities to protect the body; especially the back, from pain and injury - is important to teach to clients. Good body mechanics refers to proper posture and body alignment when lifting or moving, and can prove to be even more beneficial to clients who have faulty posture and poor body mechanics. (R&T, 2014, p. 841) 


Why is it important to teach clients how to maintain proper posture and good body mechanics? (R&T, 2014)

1. muscular and skeletal balance 
     -to prevent further pain and strain on the back
2. minimizes risk of injury or progressive deformity  
     -to prevent injuries from occurring at work, or while performing ADL's
     -to help protect the spine, as well as other structures (i.e. discs, joints), from abnormal stresses that          
      can later lead to injury or degeneration.
3. allows muscles, intrathoracic organs, abdominal organs to function optimally 
4. requires minimal energy expenditure to maintain balanced alignment
     -to continue carrying out healthy, independent, meaningful occupations


Example: Client is a barista at a local coffeeshop. Coffeeshop employees are always on their feet, standing in the same position for prolonged periods of time. Heavy lifting, reaching, and bending put a lot of strain on the back. The OT needs to focus on educating the client on how to practice and incorporate proper posture and good body mechanics into his or her daily and work routine. 

1. Standing: Educate the client to avoid standing in one position for prolonged periods of time. The client can incorporate stretches throughout the day in order to relieve the spine of some stress. The goal being the awareness of body posture. The OT needs to also encourage the client to avoid overreaching. If the client must reach something high above, or far off to the side, he or she must be sure to stand on a leveled surface. Try to avoid standing on the tiptoes because this is an unstable positions and can place strain on the back. 
  
2. Lifting: Educate the client on placing the load in front of them before attempting to lift the object. Clients do not need to let objects from a twisted, sideways position. It is also important for the OT to encourage bending of the knees in a squat position to grab things from lower places; rather than continuously bending over forward (hip flexion). The feet need to be shoulder width apart to provide a stable base for support.

I hope you found this post informational!

Stay natural,

naturalOT



Sources:
Radomski, M. V. & Trombly Latham, C. A. (2014). Occupational Therapy For Physical 
Dysfunction (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.  

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