BIOMECHANICS - The Postural truth
The importance of posture
Proper postural alignment develops areas for improved neuromuscular efficiency, which helps produce effective and safe movement. Good posture confirms that the muscles of the body are aligned at the proper length-tension relationships necessary for efficient functioning of force-couples. This allows for arthrokinimatics, and effective absorption and distribution of forces throughout the kinetic chain. This alleviates excess stress on joints. Simplified this means that posture keeps muscles at their ideal lengths so that motion at your joints effectively function as intended.
Proper posture is absolute in maximizing strength and power gains.
The proper alignment of the musculoskeletal system is recognized as structural efficiency, and it allows posture to be balanced in relation to the body’s center of gravity. This is important as this allows an individual to maintain his or her balance over a constantly changing base of support during movement.
An example of this can be seen in the popular family game night puzzle “JENGA”
In this game, you remove and stack blocks without letting the tower collapse.
When playing JENGA, the structure is most efficient when the wooden blocks are stacked on top of one another in proper alignment. As these wooden game pieces are removed, the structure progressively becomes less and less efficient, making it more difficult to control. Eventually the staggering tower of wooden blocks tips over and the structure collapses.
The same thing can happen to the body. The more your body is out of proper alignment over time, the greater possibility of it breaking down resulting in an injury.
Functional efficiency is the ability of the neuromuscular system to perform functional tasks with the least amount of energy, decreasing stress on the body’s structure. Functional efficiency is a direct result of structural efficiency, which is improved proper postural alignment of the body.
Postural assessments are strategic and important because they will identify muscle imbalances which can lead to injury.
When you are assessing your posture, you are investigating muscle imbalances. This lack of control (muscle imbalances) is also recognized as altered neuromuscular efficiency.
Altered neuromuscular efficiency occurs when the kinetic chain is not performing as best as it can to control the body in all three planes of motion.
In most scenarios when muscle imbalances are discovered, a certain muscle (or muscles) associated with a joint (or joints) may be in a shortened state while other muscles are in a lengthened state. This affects the position of the joint.
It has been expressed that muscles in a shortened state also tend to be more hyperactive, whereas those muscles that are in a lengthened state tend to be more inhibited. This is a direct result of a phenomenon known as altered reciprocal inhibition. This can lead to synergistic dominance.
Joint movement requires a combination of muscle synergies and force-couples.
When muscle imbalances are present, the activation sequence is altered, leading to an altered-couple relationship. This altered force-couple relationship will affect the arthrokinematics of the joints, creating something called altered arthrokinematics.
Altered arthrokinematics is altered joint motion caused by altered length-tension relationships and force-couple relationships that affects the joints and causes poor movement efficiency.
It’s only a matter of time until this leads to an injury via cumulative injury cycle.
The cumulative injury cycle is the cycle our body goes through to heal an injury.
Muscle imbalances can also lead to the development of relative flexibility.
Relative flexibility is the human movement system’s way of finding the path of least resistance during movement.
An example of relative flexibility is when an individual with poor dorsiflexion tries to squat.
Flexion is a bending at a joint where the relative angle between two adjoining segments decreases. Dorsiflexion is flexion of the ankle.
An individual with poor dorsiflexion will tend to descend into the squat with out reaching full range of motion as a result of the relative dorsiflexion.
Once this ROM is reached, additional ROM through altered arthrokinematics will occur. This will be seen through the feet turning out or heels being raised. The knees may also internally or externally rotate to allow for an even deeper ROM. These movement compensations can direct further physiological imbalances, which again can also develop or be the result of as mentioned before, the cumulative injury cycle.
Most recognized postural distortion patterns are common malalignmemts and muscle imbalances that people can develop based on variety of factors, these postural distortion patterns are pronation distortion syndrome, lower crossed syndrome, and Upper crossed syndrome. Please understand that there are many more compensatory patterns, these three mentioned are the most shared movements performed by people.
Pronation distortion syndrome is pretty common amongst people for a variety of reasons, below is an example of the biomechanics relative to pronation distortion syndrome.
Pronation distortion syndrome is a postural distortion syndrome characterized by Foot pronation (flat feet) and adducted and internally rotated knees (knock knock knees).
The shortened, over active muscles for someone identified with pronation distortion syndrome are:
- gastrocnemius
- Soleus
- Peroneals
- Adductors
- Iliotibial (IT) band
- Hip flexor complex
- Biceps femoris (short head)
The lengthened, under active muscles for individuals moving with pronation distortion syndrome are:
- anterior tibialis
- Posterior tibialis
- Gluteus Maximus
- Gluteus medius
The altered joint mechanics in people with pronation distortion syndrome are increased:
- knee adduction
- Knee internal rotation
- Foot pronation
- Foot external rotation
The altered joint mechanics in people with pronation distortion syndrome are decreased:
- Ankle dorsiflexion
- Ankle inversion
Possible injuries found in people with pronation distortion syndrome:
- plantar fasciitis
- Posterior tibialis
- Tendinitis (shin splints)
- Patellar tendinitis
- Low back pain
Please understand, an individual’s posture is constantly changing to meet the demands placed on the kinetic chain and because of this it’s also important to Perform a movement assessment after already identifying your static posture pattern. This approach is a great method of action to further establish the predetermined distortion, if any. This is practical because there may be faulty body alignments that weren’t discovered when previously assessing.
Dynamic postural observations are often the quickest way to gain an overall impression of functional mobility.
Please follow up and provide your feedback! Are you someone with pronation distortion syndrome? Was this article helpful? What are your questions? What would you like to see from us next?
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