BODY MECHANICS

Posture - how people stand

Gait - how people walk
Symptom is what hurts or a particular sensation in our body such as buzzing or n
umbness.
Cause is the actual reason or set of circumstances that leads to those symptoms.
SPINE
The spinal column is made up of 33 segments, or vertebrae, held together by toug
h bands of tissue called ligaments.
There are seven cervical vertebrae (C-1 to C-7).
There are twelve thoracic vertebrae (T-1 to T-12).
There are five lumbar vertebrae (L-1 to L-5).
There are five attached sacrum bones.
There are four attached vertebrae in the coccyx (Tailbone).
The neck has a slight natural curve.
There are a curve in the middle and lower back.
The nerve roots pass through the openings between the vertebrae. Thus, a failure
of muscular support or injury may result in pressure or "pinching" upon a nerve
, causing pain.
BREATH
Breathe from your abdomen.
Do not hold your breath.
HIPS, LEGS, KNEES, FEET
Keep feet planted firmly and change stances with different strokes.
Never lock your knees.
Tilt pelvis forward to keep back straight.
Poor circulation, when you sit very still, blood tends to settle in the lower le
gs and feet and does not circulate easily throughout the body.
Bend with your knees, not your back.
Wear comfortable shoes and socks.
Centering-your body stance is stable, but flexible (If somebody tried to push yo
u over, you would brace yourself).
High heel shoes increase the forward curve of the lower back.
Do not stand in one place too long; shift your weight and change positions.
Wear comfortable shoes and stand on a soft surface.
Rest one leg on a stool to reduce stress on the back.
Wear flat-soled shoes that are designed for comfort and support. High heel shoes
increase the forward curve of the lower back. Do not stand in one place too lon
g; shift your weight and change positions. As you walk or stand, remember the th
ree natural curves of the back and maintain correct posture.
BACK
Stand close to the object to be lifted.
Spread your feet wide apart to straddle the object.
Squat, bending your knees and hips, keeping your back in proper alignment.
Lift by using the work of your leg muscles, not your back.
Bad posture, often due to hunching over office desks and slumping on sofas, can
make us look up to 2 inches shorter and 10 lb fatter! It also crushes our bodies
internally and can lead to poor circulation, breathing difficulties and physica
l stress.
Only 17% of women with back pain have had workplace training in the care of thei
r backs. Women are more likely to get back pain if they work in the health servi
ces, retailing, hotel and catering, banking, finance and insurance industries. N
urses are particularly prone to back pain. 80,000 nurses injure their backs each
year and 3,600 are invalided out as a result.
When you sit for long periods, your spine tends to compress. If your posture is
bad, gravity accentuates the problem, which can lead to back pain.
When lifting with another person, one person should say when to lift, walk and u
nload.
Do not twist as you lift. Instead, pivot with your hips and shoulders in line an
d shift your weight.
Obesity can play a major role in back problems.
Your back's "best friend" is a straight, hard chair. If you cannot get the chair
you prefer, learn to sit properly on whatever chair you have.
If you're in the habit of slinging a backpack full of books over one shoulder, y
our back could be in for trouble. Among students, this is a common cause of pain
in the back and shoulders. Instead, carry upper your backpack properly over bot
h shoulders.
HEAD, FACE
Be aware of your facial expressions.
Have your head above your shoulders and do not keep looking down.
Tension and stress Intense mental focus can produce physical tension (stiffness
and pain), which can lead to mental stress a debilitating cycle. Facial tension
and a tight jaw can cause headaches.
With every inch you look down, it adds 12+ pounds to your upper back.
Most headaches originate in the muscles of the neck and head.
When you prop a phone under your neck while talking on the phone your neck twist
s to that side.
Do not lean over your work, hobbies, projects, etc. Angle work so that you can l
ook straight ahead, or sit closer to your work area. Do neck exercises throughou
t the day. For advice on proper neck exercises, see the following pages. Also tr
y taking frequent "mini-breaks" to relieve tension and avoid overhead reaching.
Use a ladder or stepstool instead.
SITTING
Sit in a chair that supports your lower back. If the chair does not support your
back sufficiently, you can place a lumbar cushion (which can be bought at your
local pharmacy) at the level of your low back, for added support.
Position your chair so that your knees are at least as high as your hips when yo
ur feet are flat on the floor.
Sit close to your work, do not lean over it.
Do not slump over while sitting.
Take frequent breaks to get up and stretch.
When driving or sitting in front of a computer, day after day, the body folds fo
rward in a slump.
STOMACH, CHEST
Women with a larger chest are at a risk factor for back problems.
Strong stomach muscles are important for spinal health.
If you have a pre-existing upper extremity, back or neck injury, think about giv
ing types of massage that do not require strength or pressure.
The Psoas is the strongest postural muscle, but the average therapist never mass
ages it (Ouch!).
If you sleep on your stomach with your head turned to the right, when standing y
ou will find you head does not turn as easily to the left.
SHOULDERS, ARMS, WRISTS, THUMBS
Try not to have your arms too far away from your body.
Stiff muscles. Not moving for long periods of time can cause neck and shoulder p
ain.
Repetitive strain injuries These injuries are caused by repetitive movement, oft
en of the hands. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome, a type of wrist pain, can
result from improper use of the hands and/or poor positioning at the workstation
.
Do not hyperextend your wrists.
Never do hands-on work with cold hands.
A therapist with above normal range of motion in his finger, hand or arm joints
will be more prone to injury.
Work with your body characteristics, not against them: if you have hyper-mobile
thumbs, do not use them extensively.
The thumb, for example, has quite small muscles that are not built to withstand
repetitive demands on their limited strength.
Try not to use your thumb much when you are giving a deep-tissue massage.
If you are in the habit of slinging a backpack full of books over one shoulder,
your back could be in for trouble.
Take care of your hands every day: they are the tools of your trade; treat them
well.
Your elbow is your friend, but do not make it your best friend.
If you keep your thumbs in alignment with the rest of the hand and arm, you will
be able to create the pressure and possibly some of the repetitive motion by us
ing the larger muscles of the rest of the upper extremity.
The two common nerve impingement injuries by massage therapists are carpal tunne
l syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome.
Protect your hands from sudden shock, heavy vibration and undue stress from lift
ing or carrying.
TABLE
Experiment with table height until you find what works best for you.
Use your body weight when using deep pressure and lower the table.
LEAVING THE FIELD
The main reason for leaving the massage field is injuries, most all of them love
what they do, but are not capable of giving massages.
If you are not taking care of yourself, you are less likely to be able to be of
any service in the healing of other.
Repetitive motion is the primary aspect of massage work that causes this stress.
Soft tissue injuries common to massage therapists fall into two categories: musc
le/tendon injuries and nerve impingement injuries.
Muscle/tendon injury because of performing massages is more common among massage
therapists than nerve impingement injury.
HELP YOURSELF
Know your limits.
Move with your massage strokes (Danceif you can).
You can sit while giving foot and face massage.
A body in motion; stays in motion.
Get massages on a regular basis.
Listen to your body when it tells you something is wrong.
Maintain a regular schedule of massages, so you do not suddenly increase the num
ber of massages you do.
Treat injuries immediately and effectively.
Get in shape.
Think of yourself as an athlete, you are doing intense, physical work that requi
res skill, strength and endurance
Like any athlete, the massage therapist needs to train, stay in good physical co
ndition, and take herself out of the game when she is injured to allow time for
healing.
Most massage techniques have a low risk of adverse effects.
CONCLUSION
LIGAMENTS stretch in the direction they are stretched.
MUSCLES that are used get stronger in the way they are used. Unused muscles get
weaker.
NERVES develop muscle memory, reinforcing a pattern of motion.
Good posture is not simply a matter of "standing tall." It refers to correct use
of the body at all times.
The body cannot function normally if the organs are pushed against each other by
the presence of poor posture.
A slumped posture is not really a slump at all. It's a pull-down. Your own muscl
es are literally dragging you down just like a team of men hauling on tight cabl
es fastened to the crown of a tall tree would bend it over.
The manner in which you sit, stand, or walk will determine the quality of your p
osture.
Fatigue can result from poor posture and cause the body to have less energy.
Your bones will remodel around the poor posture and it becomes permanent.
A problem often occurs with a sudden and/or substantial increase in workload, or
a sudden decrease in time spent between massages.
Be careful not to take on too many additional classes or workshops.
To prevent injury, if it hurts, do not do it.
No one part of the body is designed to do the same motion over and over for long
periods of time without rest.
Tight joints Inactivity can cause joints to tighten, which makes moving more dif
ficult or even painful.
Adding pressure to repetitive motion ups the stakes.
Pain is never normal, and no massage therapist should accept pain as part of his
or her massage work.
There is no one magic formula that will keep you safe from injury.
Do not do massage techniques that cause you pain: stop doing any technique that
causes you pain or discomfort.
Develop a realistic attitude towards your work: there are limits to what you can
do for your clients.
You are only human, with your own strengths and limitations.
They say It takes 27 days to make a habit and even longer to break a bad habit.
Respecting your own limits is healthy, and will help you keep your upper extremi
ties healthy.
It is essential to give yourself permission to say no to anything that may cause y
ou to be injured.
You must have adequate knowledge of an injury to be able to recognize the sympto
ms of injury, and what can help it.
Awareness keeps you in tune with your body, so you can respond promptly to sympt
oms and keep yourself from becoming injured.
Use other modalities in your massages: hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, energy balanc
ing and spa treatments can attract new clients.
There is no one right or good way of doing it gives you the freedom to work with
your bodys own strengths and weaknesses instead of against them, which will help
you prevent injury.
Stand in from of the mirror and observe yourself.
Strain is the pushing of body tissues beyond the elastic limit either gradually
or suddenly.
Stress is the load and pressure placed upon the body for short periods of time f
rom which the body can quickly return to normal once the stressor is removed.
The assessment of posture is carried out at a plumbline; the plumbline bisects t
he person in two (Some therapists get a drawing of the body and draw a line whic
h way the body is caring itself).
The body is self-repairing and is extremely adaptable to most traumas.
Approximately 30% of the general population suffers from chronic pain.
Massage therapy is the treatment of choice for muscular pain and dysfunction.
Most pain is Myofascial (Soft-tissue) in origin.
Stress is the cause of most illnesses.
Bones go where muscles put them, and bones stay where muscles keep them.
Everything is connected.
If an injury has been present for six months or more, then it is considered chro
nic.
The longer one is in pain, the more likely one will try to block it out. It is a
t this point that alcohol and drugs often enter the picture.
Posture is the habitual or assumed disposition of the parts of the body in a sta
nding, sitting, etc.
For proper bed posture, a firm mattress is essential. Bed boards, sold commercia
lly or devised at home, may be used with soft mattresses. Bed boards preferably
should be made of 3/4-inch plywood.
Do not lean over your work, hobbies, projects, etc. Angle work so that you can l
ook straight ahead, or sit closer to your work area.
During pregnancy, special precautions should be taken since ligaments soften.
The agonist is the main muscle which bends the joint, the opposing antagonist mu
scle straightens the joint, the synergist helper muscles lend a hand, and the st
abilizers keep it all steady. Nerves control the muscles with messages from the
brain. The body moves in patterns. Muscles work in specific patterns to control
how motion occurs. However, the brain thinks in terms of whole motions, not spec
ific muscles.
Static body positions which cause muscle tension.
Repetitive motions that cause tiredness, pain, and possible overuse injury.
Uncorrected vision, glare and shadows which force people to position them into a
n awkward position.
Improperly adjusted chairs that are configured to high or to low and this will i
mpair blood circulation.
If one muscle in a pair is used more and one is used less, then the underused mu
scle weakens and the over used muscles become overly strong and tight.
Strong muscles lift more and weak ligaments stretch more.
Our habits are what we do. Practice makes permanent. Muscles strengthen with use
(and weaken when neglected), the body changes with what we habitually do.
Two basic conditions: muscular hypertonicity and fascial disorganization, can ac
count for many or most cases of chronic back pain.
Massaging may interfere with pain signals' pathways to your brain, a process cal
led the "gate control theory," according to experts. Pain impulses run toward th
e spinal cord, then up the cord, and into the brain.