Postural imbalances and pain are two elements part of the same system, the human body, where a bad posture can be in some cases in part the cause of the pain, as it can contribute to the onset of the pain or for its relapsing. Postural imbalances might lead to a reduced mobility or stability of the joint that can increase the risk of injury.

Possible cause of a bad posture:

• Joint misalignment
• Poor neuromuscular control

Joint misalignment

If the articular surface does not start the movement from a properly aligned position it won’t be able to work at its best potential during the movement.  This can be caused by a rigidity of the tissues that surround the joint, mainly capsule and ligaments, and from a muscular imbalance, where the muscles can be either too short or too stretched.

Poor neuromuscular control

Some conditions like atrophy (any weakening or degeneration of the muscle) or hypertrophy (an increase in muscular size. In this case it means that it causes a shortening muscle also when the muscle is supposed to stretch like in a rest position, therefore such condition can affect the correct alignment of the articular surface) can cause power/strength deficit of some crucial muscles responsible to control the joints. A predominance of other muscles not supposed to have this role might alter, consequently, the regular joint movement that can eventually lead to a more stress and muscular overloading.

How Postural Assessment can help

The postural assessment is performed in 20min, I will go through a brief history taking followed by a physical evaluation. The aim is to find any imbalances that can be the directly or indirectly cause of the pain/symptoms (acute or chronic). Afterwards we will discuss any findings and take the next step, depending on the single case I can suggest: an osteopathic treatment  and / or a program of functional training.