Using improper body mechanics can cause many complications that result in lowering one’s quality of life and efficiency at completing tasks. Using proper posture and body mechanics=better balance, fewer injuries, less pain, increased mobility and stability.
Examples of why it is so important!
- Having poor posture for extended periods of time over the years can change the alignment of your spine and cause your spinal nerves to be compressed. This can cause debilitating pain and is hard to reverse.
- Having poor posture such as protruding your neck forward for extended periods of time can eventually lead to difficulty swallowing liquids and foods. This is because protruding your neck causes the weight placed your vertebrae to increase. For example: extending your neck an extra inch increases the weight on your cervical spine from 12 lbs to 32 lbs.
- Having poor posture can cause problems with respiration/breathing. A hunched back leaves less room for your lungs to fill up with air. Spinal deformities can also cause weakness in muscles that help with inspiration and expiration.
- Completing movements such as twisting at the torso when moving heavy objects, lifting heavy objects by bending your spine and not using your legs to bear the weight, and holding the heavy object away from your body cause increased pressure on your spine. Many times this results in injury.
Intervention with the client:
If the client’s job includes picking up heavy objects. I would:
- Show him how to bend at his knees and hips when picking up the object. I would make sure that he doesn’t bend at his back. To help him check for safe posture, I would place a pole or long stick along his spine as he bends his hips and knees and lifts the object. If he can feel the pole against his back, he is doing a good job at not bending at his spine.
- If he needed to move that heavy object to a different location, I would demonstrate how to move his feet instead of twisting his torso.
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