Poor posture is not merely an aesthetic problem; rather, postural faults can and will give rise to discomfort, pain and/or disability.
The increasing incidence of poor posture among people in our society is related to the increasing tendency toward specialized or repetitive patterns of activity within our lives (e.g. work, recreational activities).
According to a report published by the Posture Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, posture is defined as… “the relative arrangement of the parts of the body”. Good posture is that state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects supporting structures of the body against injury or progressive deformity. Under such conditions the muscles will function most efficiently and the optimum positions are afforded to the thoracic and abdominal organs. Poor posture is a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produces increased strain on the supporting structures and in which there is less efficient balance of the body over its base of support.
“… behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.”
OLD TESTAMENT, AMOS 7:7
Painful conditions associated with faulty posture are commonplace. Painful low-backs have been the most frequent complaint, although cases of neck, shoulder, and arm pain are increasingly prevalent. Why though do so many cases of faulty posture exist without symptoms of pain and why do some people with such mild postural defects have symptoms of muscular and mechanical strain? The answer depends on the CONSTANCY of these postural faults!!!