PHYSIO FOOTNOTES 5.doc

IMPROVING YOUR POSTURE
PHYSIO FOOTNOTES 5
Liz MacLeod is a physiotherapist with a pain management programme. She looks at the importance of posture and explains why you need those curves
I am sure anyone who has a problem with pain, especially back or neck pain, will have been told by their doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor or other health care professional, that it is important to maintain good posture. Any magazine or programme on TV which has a "healthy back" theme will almost certainly describe "good posture" and mention its role in keeping your back fit and healthy.
Some of you may have been given specific posture exercises. You may have attended classes where the teacher emphasised the principles of good posture. There are sound reasons for applying these principles. They are based on the knowledge we have about the mechanics of the spine and structures that support it (for example, our muscles and ligaments). Let's have a look at some of those posture issues.
NEUTRAL POSITION
The spinal column is not a straight structure but curved to give it an S-shape. The upper curve is described as the cervical curve, the middle the thoracic curve and the lower the lumbar curve. When we stand or sit with the curves in place, the joints, muscles and tendons are in a neutral position. This means they are least stressed. It is a good idea then to adopt the neutral posture as f