Posture and Body Mechanics

It is very early to teach proper posture and body mechanics to clients because bad body alignments put added force, weight, and strain on joints. It is extra important to recorrect faulty posture and poor body mechanics especially in an OT setting because these added stresses can slow recovery time down. Readjusting certain sitting positions or standing positions could alleviate some additional pain the client is feeling. Especially for older generations, I feel like they would be able to pass this down to children and grandchildren which will correct posture and body mechanics for generations to come. 

For example with someone who has just had a posterior hip replacement, the client can not bend pass 90 degrees because the hip could pop out of socket. Instructing the patient to sit nice and take during therapy sessions will get them in the habit of not leaning too far forward. "Hunching" over is bad for the curve of your spine and puts added pressure on your vertebrae. It usually pushes you head forward which could ultimately cause the client to have neck pain. 

Another example is with a child who likes to sit in a "W" position. This position is easy for a child to get into when they are playing with toys, but not very great for mobility. This position also internally rotates the femurs and has a posterior pelvis tilt. Doctors and therapists recommended not sitting in this position because it causes added stress to the hip and knee joints. This can lead to long term posture problems and some lower back pain. W-sitting can also cause some children to develop "Pigeon-toed" walking, where their legs and toes are internally rotated in.