Postural Pain & Dysfunction

Postural Pain & Dysfunction

It is easy when working or resting to adopt a postural position that is either most comfortable, or makes a particular task easier. An obvious example is relaxing into a slumped or hunched position in front of a computer screen, working away for hours at a time with little postural variation. This can result in some muscle groups switching off and becoming weak or other muscles being unusually loaded or stretched causing sprains. The problem can be compounded as the body further alters its posture to compensate for any developing weaknesses. As a result, the pain or ache felt in one body location may be caused by a dysfunction in connected structures that have no symptoms. This is why seeing an experienced therapist will not only relieve symptoms, but get to the cause of the problem, so the pain does not reoccur.

Poor posture over long periods can cause much more than pain or discomfort. Conditions that may develop due to persistent poor posture include;

• Muscle strain from overstretch or overloading.
• Ligament overstretch, leading to risk of sprains.
• Excessive or uneven joint wearing, causing abrasion and inflammation.
• Increased or unusual loading of intervertebral discs, raising risk of slipping or prolapse.
• Impingent of blood vessels causing poor circulation.
• Headaches, from increased muscle tension in the neck or from impinged nerves or vessels.
• Dizziness, resulting from impeded circulation to the head.
• Joint pain from lax muscles and ligaments not adequately supporting and stabilising.
• Visual deformations, including hunched backs and rounded shoulders.

Whatever symptoms you may have, our experienced Osteopaths and Physiotherapists will conduct a thorough assessment. This will comprise of a subjective assessment of your work and lifestyle to establish factors that may be affecting your posture. Along with a physical assessment that will identify the source of your pain and any postural or biomechanical abnormalities that contribute to it. It is common to initially approach a therapist for treatment of a specific injury and then discover poor posture was a contributing factor.

• Heat treatments, including ice, to provide immediate pain relief and increase tissue extensibility prior to stretching.
• Soft tissue massage, to relieve pain and muscle tension.
• Stretching exercises to regain joint flexibility.
• Strengthening exercises to improve postural stamina and joint stability.
• Advice about activity modification to maintain better posture.
• Ergonomic assessments of your workspace to reduce postural and repetitive injury risks.