ERGONOMICS AND POSTUER

Your posture and ergonomics can dictate your bodies normal functioning. Try these simple tasks first with good and then with bad posture:

·                     Turn your head to the left and right.

·                     With your arms straight and next to your sides raise your hands above your head as high as you can.

·                     Take a deep breath in and out.

·                     Open your mouth as wide as you can

·                     Push your stomach out and pull it in.

·                     Cough

After completing these tasks you should notice that your movement, breathing and eating are all impeded by having poor posture.

Good posture is having the Centre of Gravity of each of your body segments over each other. This allows the curves of your spine to act like a spring and provide shock absorption: Having your ear over your shoulder, your shoulder over your hip, over your knee and over your ankle.

If the centre of gravity of a body segment is forward of another it is inclined to fall forward and the back muscles of the lower segment have to work to prevent this. When these muscles become fatigued they can cause pain and injury.

Ergonomics is the discipline that deals with the understanding of the interactions among humans and other elements of a system or workplace. Good ergonomics is using the correct equipment in the correct way for a task, and maintaining good habits while completing those tasks.

Having good ergonomics of your workplace promotes good posture and good habits. Having tools close at hand and varying there positions regularly to prevent over-use injuries is also advised.

2 Thumbs Up for Posture

With your Lumbar spine supported in your chair or exercise machine. Give 2 thumbs up out in front of you at shoulder level. Now bring your hands backwards to your shoulders. Your shoulders and head should move    backwards into a perfect postural position. Drop your arms and maintain your good posture.

ANATOMY OF THE SPINE

The Vertebral Column extends from the skull to the pelvis and is made up of 33 individual bones termed vertebrae.

The vertebrae are composed of many elements that are critical to the overall function of the spine, these include:

·                     the Vertebal body that transfers the majority of the body weight through them,

·                     the Bony processes which provide attachment sites for muscles tendons and ligaments,

·                     the Intervertebral discs that provides shock absorption between the vertebrae,

·                     Facet joints that guide the movement of the spine.

The facet joints are like any of the other joints of the body. They have cartilage surfaces and a joint capsule with associated supporting ligaments nerves and blood vessels.

Facet joints can be sprained like any other joint too when excessive or unusual forces are placed on them. They are responsible for the majority of Back and Neck pain.

The muscles of the vertebral column are extremely powerful as they are responsible for both movement and the support of it.

The back muscles attach to the Boney processes of the vertebrae and the Facet joints. Excessive contraction of these muscles during an accident or due to having bad posture or ergonomics can sprain the facet joints.

 If you lift a 5kg weight with bad posture; your centre of gravity falls forwards and your back muscles have to lift the 5kg weight and the weight of your whole upper body! If this force is transmitted through your facet joints they may be sprained or                                                                                      injured.