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in my lower back, the lumbar area,
but I exercised in a swimming pool,
kept working on my posture and
alignment, and got a high-back chair
for sitting. I didn't- need surgery but I
have to keep working on my posture.
"I'm now working on our 12-year-
old daughter, reminding her to sit
straight because I now know I would
have recovered more quickly if I had
been more flexible and stronger
before the injury."
Many of the exercises private train-
er Jude Timlin uses with his clients
are for strength as well as for posture.
When I watch people doing strength
training, one of the most common
mistakes I see is poor posture," says
Timlin, who trains at the Powerhouse
Gym in West Bloomfield. "That
makes a workout less effective and
invites injury
"There's a core to our body which
is our center of balance. To help
clients find that center, I hold my
hand over their head and ask them to
imagine I'm pulling up on a string
attached to their head. It's amazing
how most clients straighten their
spine, square their shoulders and
tighten their abdominal muscles.
"My hope is that the client gets
accustomed to this posture and prac-
tices it so that it becomes a habit. The
advantage is that when the head is
well balanced, atop the spine, the
head and arms have their maximum
range of motion."
Dr. Steven Arbit, chief of physical
medicine and rehabilitation at
DMC's Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital
in Commerce Township, says posture
also has a significant impact on over-
all appearance as well as health.
"A person with poor posture is
likely to suffer back pain, neck pain
and even headaches. When the spine
is kept in good alignment the patient
is less likely to experience back pain
and related problems," he says.
"Maintaining proper alignment is
even more important as we age. Even
if people have strong legs or strong
abdominal muscles, they need to
stand straight to maintain good pos-
ture and do exercises that specifically
strengthen the upper body. It's the
old saw: An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure, which means
tending to your posture may avoid
possible future problems."
Podiatrist Bruce Kaczander, with
offices in Southfield and Novi, says
some patients have a problem with
their gait, which can lead to poor
posture. "For example, someone who
is flat-footed or has a very high arch
is prone to poor posture to accommo-
date these problems. Solving the
problem may be as simple as using an
insert in the shoe, an orthotic, to cor-
rect the structural problem, which
will enhance good posture and elimi-
nate the back pain."
Instead of maintaining a natural
posture, many of us habitually slouch
even when standing, and sit with our
heads forward and shoulders round-
ed.
"There are three normal curves to
the spine," says Dr. Robert Radtke, a
chiropractor in Birmingham.
"Problems take place when something
happens to these normal curves. With
poor posture, patients develop either
a flat back or an exaggerated forward
curve (sway back) in the lower back,
and over time this results in strength
and flexibility imbalances causing
muscle and ligament pain. If the
problem isn't dealt with, the pain
becomes chronic and worsens.
"A less painful but more common
outcome of poor posture, especially
for older people, is a shortness of
breath. This happens because their
heads are pushed forward and their
shoulders are hunched, which con-
stricts the chest cavity, limiting lung
expansion. By this time, physical
therapy is required ro help patients
break the old habits."
Dr. Radtke says that people can
rake control of their posture. When
driving, for example, sit up tall and
set the rear view mirror so that you
•
can see without slouching down.
"Then let the rear view mirror be
your teacher. If you look in the mir-
ror and can't see, don't change the
position of the mirror. Instead,
change your body position by sitting
up as you were when you originally
set it. Let the habit begin."
Good posture means feeling tall
and relaxed, whether you're standing
or sitting. Our bodies give us
enough feedback to know when our
posture is the origin of some aches
and pains. We must listen to our
bodies and take that stretch or walk
when it's needed.
Treatment for correcting postural
problems includes restoring range of
motion, increasing flexibility and
strengthening weak muscles. This
can be achieved through exercises
and practice. If any pain results,
consult your physician. But of all
the things that can go wrong with
our bodies, posture is the easiest one
to correct.
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1999
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