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Principles of Structural Alignment
Or What is "good" posture?
The word posture conjures up many thoughts.
Mom and Dad "saying stand up straight" or a picture of yourself hunched over a
desk and computer attached to the phone. The word
posture as per Webster is (1) the position or
carriage of the body in standing or sitting; bearing (2) an attitude of mind;
frame of mind (3) the habitual or assumed disposition of the parts of the body
in a standing, sitting, etc. What relationship does physical posture have
on our overall health?
Developing how we see the body is one of the first
steps in assessing posture. A comprehensive view of the body and how it moves as
a result of the posture is needed to evaluate the body. Here are some key
point to tune into when looking at posture.
Front View
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Look at the feet. Are the arches falling? Are
the toes clenched? Is the weight on the outside, inside of the feet or balanced
over the ankles? Does each foot look the same or are they different? Are the
feet pointed in or out?
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Are the ankles falling in? Is one ankle falling
in?
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The knees. Do the knees point in the same
direction? Does one point out or in more? Are they directly under the hips or
closer together than the hips?
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When the person is standing with feet hip width apart
and asked to bring the knees forward as if they were going to sit, do the knees
remain in the same plane or do they move outward or inward?
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The hips. Is one hip bone higher than the other?
Is one hip bone farther forward than the other or farther back?
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Waistline. Is the waistline straight or is one side
higher than the other? Is the navel off to one side or on the midline?
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Shoulders. Is one shoulder higher than the
other? Is one side more forward than the other?
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Arms. Do the arms hang evenly? Are the
height of the hands even or does one lie higher on the side of the body? How far
away from the body do they hang? Is one farther away from the trunk than the
other?
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Neck/head. Does the head tilt to one side or the
other? Does the neck go one way and the head the other way?
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Can you draw a straight line from the top of the head
through the nose, chin, navel to the mid point between the feet?
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If you have the person roll slowly forward to touch
their toes (letting their hands hang) does the length of their hands vary as
they roll down?
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After having the person march in place, where do their
feet fall naturally?
Side View
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How does the weight look on the feet? Does it
look like the person is going to spring off a diving board or fall over
backwards?
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Are the knees locked? Straight? Slightly bent?
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Are the hips forward over the feet or behind the feet?
If the pelvis were a bowl would the contents spill out the front or back or
remain in the bowl?
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Does the low back sway forward or is it straight as a
board?
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Is the upper back rounded forward or are the shoulder
blades pulled back?
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Is the head forward or right over the shoulders?
Back View
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Are the achilles tendons straight or curved inward or
outward? Are the heels closer together and toes pointed out more? How do
the arches look? Are they high or falling?
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Are the calf muscles equally developed?
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Are the knees locked or slightly bent?
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Are the iliac crests even or is one higher than the
other?
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How does the tissue on the back look? Is there
more draping on one side than the other? Do the scapulas stick out or are they
close to the back?
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Do the arms hang closely to the sides? In which
direction do the elbows point?
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Are the shoulders even or is one higher than the
other?
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Is the head on straight or off to one side or the
other?
The ideal alignment is to have the feet directly under
the hips and knees and have the torso, shoulders and neck balanced
over the hips with minimal muscular activity going on to hold this
upright position. The knees should be straight ahead. The feet
should not be turned out. The weight should be balanced over
the feet evenly not with more weight on the heels or balls of the
feet. From the side you should be able to draw a straight line
through the ear, shoulder, hip, ankle perpendicular to the floor.
Misalignment and imbalance leads to more stress in
certain areas of the body, just as in a case of tires on a car that are not
balanced. The areas involved will wear out faster especially under stress
or trauma.
How do we get misaligned or imbalanced?
Muscular tightness, muscular weakness, having a dominant side, moving in
habitual patterns, emotional stress and trauma, birth, being in the womb,
repetitive activities, lack of or decreasing awareness, food allergies or
intolerances - you name it -it is all a part of who we are physically.
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