Posture and Body Mechanics

While a lot of us aren’t always aware of our posture and body’s mechanics, they are both very essential concepts to learn about and be mindful of for many reasons! This is why is it’s it important to teach your clients about them as an occupational therapist. One specific reason why is because posture impacts one’s ability to move and function throughout their day, therefore teaching your client to do so can maintain, or even improve their functioning. Another reason why is to prevent, or minimize, the risk of injury or progressive deformity, especially in your client's back. Having ideal posture also allows for a person’s internal organs to function properly, which is another reason why the client should be taught proper posture and body mechanics! In addition to this, having proper posture also allows for the client to have better balance, therefore reducing the likeliness of falling from being off-balance. Excessive spinal curvature from poor posture can have many consequences including overly tightened muscles and opposing weakened muscles, narrowing of vertebral spaces potentially resulting in nerve compression and excess stress on ligaments and joint capsules. Considering that, it is easy to see why occupational therapists should work with their clients on proper body posture, so they can avoid experiencing the consequences listed. 

One way I might teach my client to prevent injury and improve their body mechanics is by ensuring that they do not lift heavy objects and rotate their trunk at the same time. Instead, I would recommend that the client uses their feet to pivot their body to the area where they can safely put down the object. Another thing I would reinforce as an occupational therapist would be to make sure the client plans out their lifting before performing the job. This process could involve making sure the area has no slipping or tripping hazards, planning rest stops in advance, testing the load before the actual lift and avoiding use of the stairs if at all possible. Lastly, I would recommend that anytime a pushing motion is an option to do it, instead of pulling a load toward yourself, since pulling places added stress on the back and has an increased risk of injury.